Somewhere I Belong
by WriterChick2391
Summary: Raye Lily Potter and Harry James Potter used to be two unseperable twins. Until that fateful night- where murder was attempted on both of them. And now, when Jax (Raye) finds her way to Hogwarts- what will become of the two? R&R, rating might change.
1. The Second Potter

A/N: This is my first stab at a Harry fic, and I hope you like it. The beginning is a bit dull- sorry about that. Hope you enjoy!  
  
"Mum?"  
  
Jax Pierce looked around her front hallway, searching for her mother. She stooped down and picked up the post, looking through the kitchen doorway for her mother.  
  
"Mum??"  
  
She looked around, not finding anyone. Jax walked over to the coffee pot, taking a mug and pouring herself a cup. She knew her mother had recently been around, or the coffee wouldn't still be hot. She reached into the cupboard and took out the cream and sugar, discoloring her coffee to a light brown as she stirred the contents in. She pulled out a chair from under the nearby table and sat down, the post still in hand. She sat the mug down on a saucer and started to shuffle through the thick bundle of paper.  
  
"Bills... more bills... and even more bills."  
  
Jax threw the pile back to the table, taking another sip as her eye caught an off-white colored envelope at the bottom of the pile. She put the mug down as she picked it up, eyeing it suspiciously. The letter was addressed to her. She turned it over, making note of the seal.  
  
"Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry? What a load of bull!"  
  
She walked over to the trash bin, tearing the letter in half, and then tearing those halves into fourths.  
  
'Junk mail for sure,' She thought.  
  
Sixteen-year-old Jax eyed the front hallway doorknob, pleading for it to turn. She turned her back to it, sighing, when she heard the loud clank that the mailbox always makes. She spun around, hoping for her mother to enter through the door, but instead found another off-white envelope sitting on her doormat.  
  
"What the-"  
  
Jax walked back over to the door, picking up the envelope.  
  
"Those little bastards never give up, do they?"  
  
She threw the new letter in the trash bin, not bothering to tear it up this time. When she turned around, she found two new letters at her front doorway. Her brow furrowed, and cussed under her breath. She stomped over to the doormat, bending down to pick up the two new letters when three more appeared through the mail slot.  
  
"Okay, now this isn't funny-"  
Jax threw open the door, expecting to see her neighbors running down the street, giggling. But to her dismay she didn't see a single soul except for Mrs. Downy planting seeds in her front yard. She looked up to the sky, squinting to see what was on the telephone line.  
  
"Are those-"  
  
"Owls?"  
  
Jax spun around, almost falling to the ground. Standing in her front hall was a very old man, with long, white, hair and a beard to match. He stared at Jax through his half-moon glasses, with a small smile creeping along his face.  
  
"Who- who-"  
  
"Could you please close the door? It's giving me quite a chill."  
  
"But- but-"  
  
"Here. I'll do it for you."  
  
The man stepped forward, and pulled out a long stick from his vibrant robes. He mumbled a sort of incantation, as the door closed by itself. Jax just stared at the man, as she felt herself fall and everything around her go black.  
  
***  
  
Jax woke up, staring her ceiling in the face. Her head hurt something fierce, and her stomach was grumbling loud enough to hear in China. She got up from her bed with a groan, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror.  
  
She was a pretty girl- and she was aware of it. Jax had deep, raven-black hair that had been cut to her shoulders that summer. She had fair, peach skin that had a small, radiant glow to it from the summer sun. Her eyes were a rare, light purple with green flecks splattered across them. And then there was the one thing that set her aside from everyone else- her friends, family, anyone she'd ever met. Jax reached her hand up to her head, and pulled back her bangs. Resting at the top of her forehead was a small scar- in the shape of a star.  
  
Jax took a deep breath and let it out as she walked down the stairs to her kitchen. She heard the voices of her parents- and two she didn't recognize.  
  
"But Albus, why now? I mean- you waited all these years. She's sixteen! You let him-"  
  
Jax eyed her mother as she stopped talking. Next to her was her father- and the old man from earlier- and another woman that she didn't recognize.  
  
"Finally! You're up!"  
  
Her father came over and walked her to the table, putting one arm around her as the old man beamed at her.  
  
"I hoped that fainting cure would help. You look much better than you did before."  
  
Jax gave the old man a wary look, cautioning him.  
  
"Quite frankly, Sir, I find it very rude to break and enter someone's house and then make them faint," Jax replied indignantly.  
  
Dumbledore laughed, his eye starting to twinkle.  
  
"Just like Lily in her right way!"  
  
Jax's mother gave Dumbledore a cold stare, and then looked to her husband.  
  
"And, if I may ask, Who is Lily?" Jax asked.  
  
She stuck her hands on her hips, also eyeing the old man coldly.  
  
"Why, your mother, of course."  
  
Dumbledore took his mug of coffee and put it to his lips, looking directly at Jax. McGonagall nudged him, looking to Jax also. Joan, Jax's mother, looked to her husband, Peter, who was also watching Jax.  
  
"But- my mother is sitting right there. Who's Lily?" Jax looked to her mother, who was on the verge of tears.  
  
Joan buried her face in her hands, and ran off up the stairs.  
  
"Joan-"  
  
Peter stood up and watched his wife shoot up the stairs with a worried look.  
  
"Dad?"  
  
Jax looked to Peter, her brow wrinkled.  
  
"Please."  
  
Peter held a hand up to Jax, following his wife. Jax looked to the two strangers sitting at her dining room table, her face filled with anger.  
  
"Who in the world are you two?" Jax shouted at them.  
  
"Oh, please excuse my rudeness." Dumbledore stood up, and walked to Jax. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry."  
  
Jax stared at the man, slowly backing away.  
  
"What kind of fool do you take me for?"  
  
Jax's face grew confused and worried. She turned to shoot up the stairs when she felt something jerking her back. She looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing. She felt another jerk, pulling her inches from Dumbledore.  
  
"Jax, please sit down. I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help."  
  
The old man had his hand stretched out, but was not touching her.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
Jax's eyes grew wide. She looked from the old hand, to the woman sitting impatiently at her kitchen table.  
  
"Oh, please. Your parents have told you nothing? This is worse than Harry."  
  
"True, Minerva, but you must remember that Harry was much younger when we brought him to Hogwarts."  
  
Jax just stared at the two chatter, mesmerized. Dozens of questions flooded her head. Were these people for real? Who was Harry? Who was Lily? And what were these strangers doing in her kitchen?  
  
"You must think softer, dear. I can hear all the way over here."  
  
Jax stared at the old man, having to stretch a hand out to keep from falling.  
  
"You- you can hear my thoughts?" Jax asked at barely a whisper.  
  
"Oh, yes." Dumbledore turned to look at her.  
  
"Then why don't you answer my questions?" Jax asked, her confidence rising. There was no way that this man could know what she was thinking.  
  
"You don't think so? Alright, here we go. Yes, Minerva and I are quite "real". Harry, Harry Potter, is your brother. I already answered your question about Lily, but yet again, she is your birth mother. And what are we doing in your kitchen? That is a question that I can't answer here."  
  
Jax finally took a chair from under the table and sat down. She stuck a hand to her head, rubbing her scar.  
  
"And, yes, I know about your scar. You brother has one quite like it, in the shape of a thunderbolt."  
  
McGonagall walked over to Dumbledore, concerned for the girl.  
  
"Albus, maybe you should take this more slowly. The muggle world is all she knows. We're giving this to her quite fast."  
  
"No- no. For some reason, I completely understand what you're talking about. James- James is a name that comes to me. Who is he?" Jax looked up to Dumbledore  
  
Dumbledore smiled. He knew that Jax would be able to understand, for she had a certain gift that Harry did not. She caught on to things very quickly.  
  
"Your father."  
  
"So- I was adopted? By Peter and Joan-" She stopped. It was hard for her to speak of her parents that way. "How long ago was that?"  
  
"Oh, you were a little child. Barely one year old. The same with your brother-"  
  
"Harry?" Jax interrupted.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And Harry is a wizard? Like, a magical wizard?"  
  
"Yes, a magical wizard."  
  
"And that would make me a-" Jax paused at the thought.  
  
"Witch? Yes, Raye, you are a witch."  
  
"Raye? Is that my real name?"  
  
"I almost forgot to tell you! Raye Lily Potter is your real, full name," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Jax smiled thoughtfully. She actually understood who she was for once.  
  
A/N: I hope I haven't completely wasted your time- I made sure from some of my friends it was good enough before I posted. Review!! Please!! 


	2. The New Guard

A/N: Gets a bit more exciting here; lots of the characters from the actual books are introduced in this chapter.  
  
"No! I won't do it!" Jax screamed furiously at Dumbledore, who had Joan and Peter behind him.  
  
"Jax, darling, that is what Professor Dumbledore came to do. He came to take you for your training as a witch. It's just like school!"  
  
McGonagall gave a small huff at that. Joan walked over to her adopted daughter, putting an arm around her for comfort.  
  
"You never said that I would have to leave! I don't want to leave! I have everything here, in London!"  
  
"Professors, could you please excuse us?"  
  
"Oh, of course! Come, Minerva. We have arrangements to take care of."  
  
"I hope they're not for me!" Jax screamed at the two. "Because they're won't be any necessary!"  
  
"Yes, there will."  
  
Joan looked down at the carpet in her daughter's bedroom, where they were standing.  
  
"Mother, I cannot believe you! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving dad! I'm not leaving, period!"  
  
Jax gave her mother a crazy look. She just could not believe that her mother wanted her gone.  
  
"You have to go, sweetheart. Trust me, if you didn't, we wouldn't let them take you."  
  
Peter walked over to his daughter and started to rub her shoulders. Jax looked up at her father, knowing that he was right. She tried to fight it, denying that there was any truth to what he had just said.  
  
"It's because of this stupid scar on my forehead, right? That's why I'm so special to them?" Jax looked up to her father and then to her mother.  
  
"I'm afraid so, darling."  
Joan lifted up the bangs that hung in her daughter's eyes, and reached over to kiss the scar. Jax heard a knock on the door as she watched it swing open.  
  
"I hope you've talked some sense into the child by now. The guard is coming for us in ten minutes!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
Jax's eyes grew a horrified look in them. She couldn't leave a mere ten minutes from now! She then remembered what Dumbledore had said to her earlier- and quieted her thoughts.  
  
"It's alright, dear. I know you're angry. Think as loud as you must," Dumbledore said softly.  
  
"But Sir, why so soon? I mean, just yesterday I found out that I'm a witch and that I'm adopted and that I have a brother! Everything in my world is here. I don't know your world."  
  
Dumbledore gave Jax a sympathetic look. McGonagall gave the girl a scowl, becoming impatient.  
  
"Oh, good Lord! You have eight minutes to pack your things." McGonagall turned to walk out of the door, but turned back. "Scratch that. I'll do it for you."  
  
She took her wand out of her emerald-green robes, and gave it a swish. Every item that either littered Jax's floor or was in her dresser drawers neatly folded themselves and took a place in the suitcase that had already been lying on the floor. McGonagall gave a small nod, satisfied. She turned and walked out the door.  
  
Jax and her parents stood frozen, amazed at what they had just witnessed. Dumbledore gave a chuckle at their faces, and looked to Jax.  
  
"And that was only beginning level. You, of course, will be getting after- class tutoring from your professors to be caught up with what you have missed. It is very rare to be accepted into a wizarding school so high up in the levels. By school regulations, I really should let you start as a first year, but I'm too nice to do that." He smiled, and peered down from his half-moon glasses.  
  
"Thank you, Sir," was all Jax could get out of her mouth.  
  
"Get anything else you think you need, and say goodbye. There will, of course, be Christmas vacation to come home. It's not for forever." And with that, he turned and followed in McGonagall's footsteps.  
  
Jax took a magazine or two off of her dresser drawer, and packed up her makeup without saying a word to her parents. She stuck it all into the trunk and locked it. She set it upright and then turned to the two people that she had called her parents for her entire life. Tears were running down her mother's face, and her father had some welling up in his eyes.  
  
"It's just like he said; I'll be back during Christmas. Promise."  
  
She gave her father a tight hug, and kissed him on the cheek. She did the same to her mother, who gave her a kiss back in the same place she did before on her scar. Jax gave the two an 'I love you', and picked up the suitcase and walked down the stairs, not turning back.  
  
"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked when she reached the bottom.  
  
"No, but I'm going anyways, right?" She told him quietly. She really did not want to go.  
  
McGonagall gave her a look of disapproval, and Dumbledore just gave a small smile and a motion toward the door. Standing around the doorway were several people chatting very merrily, until Jax came into sight. They all held their breaths, amazed to see her. A woman with bright pink hair gave a gasp, and a man with a rather large eye and a wooden leg made Jax gasp herself. Dumbledore stepped forward, introducing the guard.  
  
"Jax, these are some of the many people that will be in close contact with you as long as you are not at Hogwarts. I'd like you to meet Remus Lupin.."  
  
Lupin stepped forward to shake Jax's hand with a goofy half-grin on his face.  
  
"Merlin, does she look like Lily! Except for the hair- that's all James'." He looked around the guard, meeting nodding heads. "I was a very good friend of your father's, Jax. I'm so glad to have you with us now." He let go of Jax's hand, stepping back.  
  
"Nymphadora Tonks..." Dumbledore continued.  
  
Tonks gave Dumbledore a small scowl, and Jax recognized her as the lady with the bright pink hair. She then stepped forward to take Jax's hand, shaking it furiously.  
  
"It's actually Tonks. Just Tonks. And it's such an honor to finally have you among us."  
  
She stepped back, but Dumbledore did not continue to carry on. Instead, he cleared his throat in Tonks' direction. Tonks gave Dumbledore a confused look, and Lupin pointed in the direction of the Nimbus 3000 beside her.  
  
"Oh! So sorry! I was in charge of giving you your broom! Silly me!" She took the broom and shoved it into Jax's open hand.  
  
"What did I tell you....?" Moody leaned over and whispered to McGonagall.  
  
"Hush, Alastor!" Dumbledore said sharply.  
  
Tonks just blushed, giving Moody a cold stare.  
  
"Alastor Moody," Moody introduced himself.  
  
He held out his hand, his 'mad-eye' giving Jax the once-over. Jax put her broom down on the ground, and took his hand cautiously. Dumbledore noticed her nervousness.  
  
"Don't fret, Jax. Moody may look tough on the outside, but he really is a softie."  
  
Tonks and Lupin laughed, while Moody just scowled. Dumbledore clapped his hands, and looked around.  
  
"So, are we ready?" Dumbledore craned his neck to see over the guard, apparently looking for someone. "Where's Severus?"  
  
Jax watched somebody appear out of thin air right behind Lupin. She gasped, and watched the man push his way into the circle.  
  
"My apologies, Albus. I had duties in-" He stopped, catching a glance of Jax. "And would this be Miss Potter?"  
  
"It's Miss Pierce, if you will," Jax replied hotly.  
  
"Don't get smart with me, missy."  
  
Jax scowled at the man, noticing his greasy, black hair and robes to match. She laughed at her own comparison.  
  
"Severus, please! Jax, meet your potions Professor, Severus Snape."  
  
Snape reluctantly stuck out his hand, but Jax would not take it. Snape put it down, not harmed by her rudeness.  
  
"Okay! Let me go over the formation...."  
  
Dumbledore dug through his robes in search of a piece of paper, as Jax still kept her glare on Snape. Dumbledore took the paper out of his robes and unrolled it.  
  
"Alastor in the front.... Tonks and Remus on either side of Jax.... Severus in back.... Minerva on bottom.... and myself on top. Everyone got that?"  
  
Dumbledore was met with nods all around. Jax had a look of worry on her face. She had no clue how to ride a broom!  
  
Dumbledore had been carefully monitoring her thoughts throughout the small introduction, and heard that one loud and clear.  
  
"Tonks is an excellent flyer, Jax. She will help you until you catch on. If you're anywhere near as good as Harry is, you'll do fine."  
  
Tonks beamed down at Jax, assuring her with a squeeze on the shoulder. That made her feel ten times better. Jax really liked Tonks.  
  
The guard took their formation on the ground, McGonagall and Dumbledore waiting behind to take their place for when Jax got into the air. McGonagall discreetly took out her wand, making Jax's suitcase disappear. Jax didn't even notice.  
  
"Okay, Jax, watch how Moody kicks off of the ground," Tonks instructed her.  
  
Jax copied how Moody mounted himself on the broom, and then followed his motions as he rose into the air. She felt herself rising into the air, and was scared at first, but as she heard applause all around her, she became more confident and watched as Lupin and Tonks rose up beside her. She saw McGonagall take her place below her; and Dumbledore above. Jax didn't even bother to see if Snape had made it. She didn't give a damn about him.  
  
"Alright, everyone keep an eye out and their wands at close reach!" Dumbledore yelled.  
  
Jax watched as Moody started to move his broom, and heard Tonks yelling to follow him. Jax pressed all of her body weight toward the front of her broom, and felt the wind rushing around her.  
  
"Excellent!" Jax looked over to the side where Lupin was, and saw him beaming. They were all beaming at her; even Snape.  
  
A/N: Please Review! 


	3. An Interesting Setting

A/N: Yay! I got some reviews!!! Okay, Part Three!  
  
Jax felt the wind rush around her as she landed softly on the ground, after about an hour of flying. She heard the thumps of everyone else landing around her, Moody first, Lupin and Tonks second, McGonagall third, Dumbledore fourth, and Snape last. Everyone but Snape still had their beaming smiles on their faces from when Jax first took off from the ground. Moody looked the oddest, even Dumbledore hadn't ever seen him smile like that.  
  
"Smashing!" Lupin roared, as he walked over to Jax to give her a pat on the back.  
  
"Just brilliant, Jax! I would never have known that you haven't ever flown before if Dumbledore hadn't told us!" Tonks praised.  
  
"Have you considered trying out for the Quidditch team? You'd give Harry quite a run for his money!" Moody exclaimed.  
  
"Quidditch?" Jax pondered. "What's that?"  
  
"Oh, don't tell me Dumbledore hasn't explained Quidditch to you! Albus! I'm ashamed!"  
  
Lupin playfully crossed his arms and shook a finger at Dumbledore.  
  
"It never crossed my mind," Dumbledore said barely above a whisper.  
  
"Excuse me, but it's quite chilly out here, and I don't have gloves. Can we just go in?" McGonagall whined.  
  
"Oh, certainly Minerva. So Sorry!" Tonks exclaimed.  
  
While everyone else started to tend to unlocking all the charms and protections that hid Number 12 Grimmaulde place, Moody walked up to Snape, just in earshot of Jax.  
  
"So... Severus, is Potter here yet?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. We're supposed to keep her away from him at all costs. Dumbledore is already worried enough about Potter being in Sirius' house. You should have seen him when he arrived- he was gloomy, and very distraught. Lord knows what would happen if he found out he has a sister!"  
  
"I worry for the poor boy. With Sirius gone, who is he supposed to look up to? Remus, I suppose.... Dumbledore, no... Dumbledore is entirely another thing to Harry.... Maybe that half-giant. Hagrid, you call him?"  
  
"I don't know. At least the girl has been spared for five years. But Dumbledore felt it necessary to start her at Hogwarts- there was no way around it. If we're supposed to defeat Voldemort once and for all, we're going to need both of them."  
  
"Such a heavy burden on such young teenagers. And Harry's been carrying it by himself for five years! No wonder he's such a mess."  
  
Dumbledore came over to the two men talking, and pushed them back to make sure they were out of earshot now.  
  
"You two need to be more careful around the girl. I haven't had any chance to tell her anything. Anyways, I've already told you how to act around Harry-"  
  
"Don't mention Sirius!" The two exclaimed simultaneously.  
  
"And keep the two apart from each other. I expect Harry to stay in his room- at least, Ron or Hermione's room- so Jax can attend regular dinners. I also expect lots of fuss over Jax for the next couple of days, and I know with those extendable ears Fred and George cooked up last summer he'll start suspecting something. So be extra careful, alright? I've already arranged Remus, Tonks and Molly to answer any questions she has- and she's been told they're the ones to go to for questions. They've been given guidelines over what they can tell her and what they can't- so if has any questions, direct her to them. Got it?"  
  
The two men nodded, and turned to face the headquarters as they heard Tonks exclaim in joy that they finally got it unlocked.  
  
"I swear, if they didn't change the password every ten minutes, I would get this open much quicker!" Tonks exclaimed loudly.  
  
"Twenty minutes," McGonagall corrected.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"They change it every twenty minutes, not ten."  
  
"Whatever. Come on, Jax! Let me introduce you-" Tonks grabbed Jax's hand and pulled her into the door, "To the Order of the Phoenix."  
  
Jax gaped at everything around her. The moving portraits that seemed to be so interested in her; the pans washing themselves in the sink; and the plain gloominess of the whole building.  
  
The rest of the guard continued into the doorway, taking off coats and hats and gloves and sticking them on a coat rack that seemed to never run out of room for the coats. Every time there was a new coat to hang up, another hanger appeared to place it on.  
  
"Arthur! They're back!"  
  
A small, plump woman with red hair and rosy cheeks came out of the kitchen, carrying the aroma of roast potatoes and baked chicken with her.  
  
"Albus, Arthur has some business to discuss-"  
  
Mrs. Weasley's eyes caught a glimpse of Jax, and she froze.  
  
"Oh, Albus, is that her? Is it really her?"  
  
"Gorgeous, isn't she?"  
  
"Oh Merlin! She's a beauty! And I thought Harry was handsome-"  
  
Mrs. Weasley walked over to Jax, offering her a hand.  
  
"Molly Weasley, dear. Such a pleasure to meet you!"  
  
"You also, Mrs. Weasley."  
  
Jax shook Mrs. Weasley's hand politely. Mrs. Weasley turned around, not letting go of Jax's hand, and put her other hand to the side of her mouth.  
  
"Arthur, get in HERE!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley turned back to Jax, turning the scowl she used to holler at her husband to a smile for Jax.  
  
"You must excuse my husband. He's going deaf, I swear."  
  
Mrs. Weasley let go of Jax's hand and wiped her own on the apron she was wearing.  
  
"It's quite alright. It's the same with my father-"  
  
Jax stopped at the mention of her father.  
  
"You must be hungry, dear. Would you like a snack? Dinner will be served soon," Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly, in order to change the subject.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. Dinner smells delicious. I'd like to keep an appetite. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."  
  
"Oh, please, please call me Molly." Mrs. Weasley turned around again, "ARTHUR WEASLEY!"  
  
"He's at the ministry, mum. He left just a couple of minutes ago. What's all the ruckus about?"  
  
Ron Weasley started down the stairs as he explained what had happened to his father. Mrs. Weasley quickly pulled Jax behind her, in order to hide her from her youngest son.  
  
"Mum, who's that?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley realized that Jax was too tall to hide behind her short self, so she gave a small click of her finger, and instantly Jax was hidden from sight.  
  
"What in the world are you talking about, Ronald?"  
  
"That girl behind you. Who is she?"  
  
"Ronald, I can assure you that there is no one behind me."  
  
Mrs. Weasley opened up so her son could see the area behind her. Jax was completely hidden. Ron gave his mother a quirky look, suspicious of her.  
  
"I think I had too many chocolate frogs. Harry had me and Hermione help him with all the candy he got for his birthday."  
  
"Hermione and I, dear," Mrs. Weasley quickly corrected. "Anyways, dinner will be served in about half an hour. You three need to stay up in your rooms; we have some reports to go over during dinner."  
  
"Fine with me. I doubt that Harry would even have come down. He's a wreck, mum. This place is driving him nuts. Everything he sees, everything he smells reminds him of Sirius."  
  
"Dear, just give him time-"  
  
Mrs. Weasley stopped as she saw Harry appear at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Oh, hello, Harry dear."  
  
Jax was intrigued by the mention of Harry's name, and stepped forward. She looked up the stairs, and saw a boy who looked almost exactly like herself. He had messy, jet-black hair; the same as her. He was definitely taller than she; she could tell that from even this far away. His eyes were different, though; they were a deep, emerald-green, and he had glasses. Jax had contacts. Then she remembered what she had been wondering ever since the day before. Jax looked up to her brother's forehead and saw a scar, in the exact same coloring as she, in the shape of a thunderbolt. She gasped loudly, and felt Mrs. Weasley's hand cover her mouth.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, is there something wrong?" Harry asked.  
  
Harry found it quite odd that Mrs. Weasley had her hand floating mid- air, with nothing to put it on.  
  
"Oh, just a bug."  
  
Mrs. Weasley fluttered her hand about, to make it seem as if she was shooing a fly away. Harry's forehead creased, finding it still particularly odd.  
  
"Right..." Harry said slowly. "Anyways, Ron, Hermione and I were going to play a game of Exploding Snap. You want to join?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Even though Ron despised Exploding Snap after an unfortunate mishap in his fourth year, he would do anything to brighten Harry's spirits.  
  
"Mum, would you bring our dinners up when they're ready?"  
  
"Of course, dear. Now go and play. The pie doesn't make itself! Well... maybe it does..."  
  
Ron shook his head, smiling at his mother. He headed back up the steps, opening the door to the room that he and Harry shared, and closing the door behind as he entered to the sound of popping from the game.  
  
Mrs. Weasley snapped her finger once more, making Jax visible again.  
  
"Dear, if I ever have to do that to you again, could you please be a bit quieter? Ron could have thought you a ghost with that imaginative mind of his!"  
  
Jax was still mesmerized at the sight she had just seen. She and Harry looked exactly alike, except for the eye coloring and the scar shape.  
  
"Your brother's something, isn't he?"  
  
"Yeah," was all Jax could get out of her mouth. "Mrs. Weasley, when will I finally get to meet him, like face to face?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled at the girl, just trying to remember her and Harry together as babies.  
  
"The time will come, darling, but not while we're here. At school, of course, there's no way of keeping you two apart, but we'd rather keep you a secret for as long as we can. Dumbledore has made it quite clear that you aren't allowed to be introduced as Harry's sister until he sees fit. That means none of the students can know you're his sister, and you'll have to keep that scar of yours hidden as well as you can."  
  
"So, when I go to school at Hogwarts- that's how you say it, right?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley gave a small nod.  
  
"I'll still be Jax Pierce? Not Raye Potter?"  
  
"Exactly. Still Jax Pierce."  
  
Jax sat down on a bench behind her, and looked up to Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"I have so many questions, Mrs. Weas- Molly."  
  
"Well come with me into the kitchen, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can."  
  
A/N: Please, Review! 


	4. Too Many Questions

A/N: Forth Chapter! Shorter than the others, kind of a transition piece. If any of you are wondering, this story will continue to about 25 chapters... possibly more!  
  
Jax sat at the kitchen table, Tonks sitting next her; trying to teach her how to magically peel potatoes.  
  
"Molly, when did Albus say we could take her to Diagon Alley? She's gonna need a wand and some text books if he expects me to teach her some things before she goes off to Hogwarts."  
  
"You and Remus can take her to Gringotts and Olivanders and wherever else tomorrow. Tonight she needs some rest; and food. Everybody should be here in about five minutes; and they'll just be fussing over her!"  
  
Jax's face grew an expression of worry on it after Mrs.Weasley said that.  
  
"Who's everybody?"  
  
"Well, Alastor, Albus, Arthur, and Minerva, of course, and then there's Eliphias Doge, Emmeline Vance, Kingsley Shacklebot, Sturgis Podmore and Hestia Jones... they're all very anxious to meet you, Jax."  
  
"And Harry and his friends stay up there?"  
  
"Yes, and my sons, Fred and George, and Ginny, my daughter. The trouble is keeping you away from all of them. We'll have to put a special charm on your door at night. But Dumbledore thought of you also; the walls are paper-thin around here and your room is right next to Harry and Ron's. You can listen to them talk all night, as long as you don't make much noise yourself."  
  
"That'd be alright, I guess. When do I get out of here? I mean, go to school?"  
  
"A week from today. That's actually not very much time; considering all the things you have to learn before you get on the train," Tonks explained.  
  
She was trying furiously to get the potato to peel itself, istead of enchanting the potato pealer.  
  
"Like Molly said, Remus, you, and I will go to Diagon Alley and get everything in advance, so there won't be any chance of you running into them there. Tomorrow we'll get your wand, robes, cauldron, etc., maybe even a pet!"  
  
"A pet? Like what?"  
  
"Well Harry has an owl named Hedwig-" Mrs. Weasley started.  
  
"And Hermione has this dreadful cat named Crookshanks-" Tonks piped up.  
  
"And Ron used to have a rat- well, we won't talk about him."  
  
Jax smiled.  
  
"I'd like an owl. I even know what I'd name her!"  
  
"What?" Mrs. Weasley and Tonks both looked at her.  
  
"Lily. I'd name her Lily." Jax softly smiled.  
  
"Your mother would like that, I think."  
  
Jax started bursting out laughing when she saw what Tonks had done to the potato- it was actually squeezing all the potato out of the skin, leaving the skin completely intact except for a hole at the bottom. There was now a pile of mashed potaoes on the table, along with a lifeless potato skin.  
  
"TONKS!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.  
  
"Bloody Merlin! Shit!" Tonks screamed.  
  
Tonks' hair started to turn all sorts of different colors- green, purple, blue, back to pink, and finally to grey. Jax continued to laugh, as Mrs. Weasley tried everything in the book to clean up Tonks' mess.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley- it's not that big of a deal. Just use a densengio charm. It'll clear it right up."  
  
"Of course! Thank you Harry." Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened, as Tonks scooted in front of Jax. "Harry, dear, what are you doing down here? I told Ron I was going to bring your dinners up!"  
  
"I just wanted a glass of water, Mrs. Weasley."  
  
Harry went over and poured himself a glass, looking over to where Jax was standing behind Tonks. "Who's the visitor, Tonks?"  
  
"Who? What visitor?"  
  
"The girl right behind-"  
  
Harry was cut off by a tight grip on his shoulder. Lupin stood above Harry, steering him in the direction of the staircase.  
  
"Harry, you shouldn't be down here. I was just about to discuss some business to do with the Order with Molly."  
  
"Yes, Professor."  
  
Harry reluctantly scooted up the stairs, and the four downstairs heard the door slam above their heads. A few pieces ceiling plaster fell from the roof, making Jax cough from the dust.  
  
A/N: Please, Review! 


	5. The Meeting

A/N: I like this chapter especially... Harry and Jax have their first encounter... OOOO! Suspense!  
  
One by one the members of the Order piled in, greeting one another and discussing their day's work. But there was a huge weight that was hovering over their heads; and that was each and every one of them knew who sat in the dining room, waiting for each of them to come and greet her.  
  
The dining room door had been closed when McGonagall and Dumbledore had appeared at the house, and soon after everyone anxiously waited outside in the dark foyer, all of them keeping one eye on the door.  
  
"Do you remember when the two were babies? Less than a year old-"  
  
Kingsley Shacklebot and Arthur Weasley were having a conversation about the two Potters when Mr. Weasley saw a pair of Fred and George's extendable ears reach inches from the two. Arthur took the two ears and twisted them together, tying them in a knot. Kingsley and he then heard screams from upstairs, and all they could do was laugh.  
  
Sturgis Podmore was the first to the see the door creak open, and he quickly made a beeline towards it as everyone else quickly followed. They all stood on their toes, craned their necks, and some even cast charms on themselves to grow taller.  
  
Jax looked toward everyone, actually somewhat frightened. They all made a makeshift queue in order to see her, each one of them taking a minute to shake her hand.  
  
"Sturgis Podmore, dear. So honored to finally have you here."  
  
"Kingsley Shaklebot, Miss Potter."  
  
Jax didn't flinch at being called Miss Potter, she knew that it was something she'd have to get used to.  
  
"Hestia Jones, Raye. Such an honor to finally meet you."  
  
Jax also took being called Raye the same way, it was what people knew to call her.  
  
"Arthur Weasley, dear. I work for the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle Artifact department; I have so many questions to ask."  
  
"Shove over, Arthur! You're hogging the poor child!"  
  
The woman pushed over Mr. Weasley in order to shake the girl's hand.  
  
"Emmeline Vance, Miss Potter. You'll have to excuse Arthur's rudeness; he can be quite the hog sometimes."  
  
"Eliphias Doge, dear. I'm sure you're hungry, so I won't take up your time like that pair over there."  
  
Eliphias motioned to Mr. Weasley and Emmeline Vance sitting next to each other a couple of seats down.  
  
"It's fine. Thank you. Very pleased to meet you."  
  
Jax found a smile somewhere in her, wishing she was anywhere but where she was at the moment.  
  
"You should have seen them when they first met Harry. You got lucky, Jax."  
  
Dumbledore had sensed her uneasiness once again. Jax smiled, grateful for the old man's kindness.  
  
"Don't mention it," Dumbledore whispered discreetly.  
  
She smiled again, truthfully this time.  
  
***  
  
Dinner had been exactly what Jax had smelled on Mrs. Weasley earlier that afternoon. Baked chicken with roasted potatoes, green beans with almonds, and a delicious apple pie. It was some of the best food she had ever eaten.  
  
Mrs. Weasley and Tonks had finished charming the plates to wash themselves; and started serving seconds of pie and warm Butterbeer, when Shacklebot brought up the issue of school safety. Mr. Weasley was shocked that he would bring up such a dead topic.  
  
"Kingsley, we discussed this quite sometime ago, if I recall right. We all know how safe Hogwarts is, there's not a safer place! Voldemort won't even step foot on the Quidditch grounds!"  
  
There were laughs and grins all around the table for Arthur's Quidditch statement. Jax was the only one who didn't do either of those. Who was Voldemort?  
  
She looked to Dumbledore, but he hadn't caught that one.  
  
"Who's Voldemort?" she asked Tonks quietly.  
  
It obviously hadn't been quiet enough; for the whole table had gone silent. Every person turned to the other, amazed at the question.  
  
"You don't know who Lord Voldemort is, dear?" asked Emmeline Vance.  
  
"Not even a clue?" piped Shacklebot.  
  
"It's impossible! How in the world could she not know?" inquired Hestia Jones.  
  
Nobody would answer Hestia's question, because no one knew it. All fingers pointed to Dumbledore, even his own.  
  
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. I think Miss Potter and I need to talk for a minute."  
  
Dumbledore led Jax outside into the hallway, sitting on a trunk by the staircase. He patted the empty spot beside him, beckoning for her to take it. Jax was blushing from head to toe, obviously embarrassed by what she had just asked.  
  
"They must think I'm some half-wit, right?"  
  
"On the contrary, they all think you're amazing. It's not your fault that I didn't explain this to you sooner. But better late than never, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Lord Voldemort.... I guess you could say is the reason that you have that scar on your forehead. He's the reason that your parents are dead, and the reason that you are here, in this place. He's responsible for a lot Jax, and he needs to be destroyed."  
  
"No lie?" Jax asked.  
  
"No lie."  
  
"And Harry and I- we're the only ones who can end it all? End- him?"  
  
"In a certain way. I can't exactly say that... but you're a huge part of it."  
  
"So, to make it short, Voldemort is this really evil guy that we all want to kill?"  
  
Dumbledore chuckled.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Jax started to shiver, and she rubbed her hands up and down her forearms to keep herself warm.  
  
"Would you like to go back? A butterbeer might warm you up."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Dumbledore started to rise when Jax interrupted him.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you. For everything you've done."  
  
"You're welcome, dear. I know that you didn't want to be taken away- but, Jax, this really is your world. This is where you belong."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"I know you do."  
  
Dumbledore smiled, and Jax smiled back. He offered her a hand, and helped her up. The two went back into the dining room, welcomed by a heavy and loud conversation.  
  
"We all know that, Arthur! What we don't know is what Voldemort has up his sleeve! Spies, perhaps? He's already tried it- pardon me, Alastor- so why shouldn't he try it again? It worked!" Doge and Mr. Weasley were still going at it, shouting at each other.  
  
"If Hogwarts isn't safe, then what IS, Kingsley?"  
  
"Nowhere is safe! This very room is probably filled with charms and such, considering that house-elf still lurks around!"  
  
"Kingsley! There is a child in the room!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley gave Shacklebot a scowl. Everyone's head turned towards the doorway, all of them just noticing that Dumbledore and Jax were back. Jax didn't seem to have been very startled by Shacklebot's remark, but still everyone copied Mrs. Weasley's fashion and gave him a scowl.  
  
Shacklebot, obviously offended, pushed his way through chairs scattered everywhere and angry witches and wizards to the door. He laid his hand on the doorknob and turned back to Dumbledore and Jax.  
  
"My apologies, Albus."  
  
He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open and walked out into the front hallway.  
  
"Accio coat," he murmured as he continued his way out the door.  
  
Tonks quietly moved towards Jax, taking her by the shoulders.  
  
"Come on, Jax. We have a long day tomorrow- you need some rest."  
  
The rest of them were quiet as Tonks led Jax out of the room. Only Dumbledore whispered a 'goodnight' in Jax's ear.  
  
Tonks put a finger to her mouth, indicating that Jax needed to be silent. Tonks took Jax's hand and led her up the stairs, barely managing to scrape by without a creak. Tonks took her wand out of her pocket, pointed it at the doorknob, and muttered an incantation. The door immediately swung open, and Tonks put her finger up once again, but this time to signify for Jax to wait. Tonks turned her back, trying unsuccessfully to smooth out some of the quilts with her wand.  
  
Jax leaned against the wall, silently chuckling at Tonks' sweet, but ineffective attempts. Jax looked around the dark hallway, and stared at the door to the right of hers. And then it happened; all in an instant.  
  
Harry and Ron's doorknob quickly twisted, Jax still standing inches from it. Her brother emerged from it, his hair messier than ever. He had one hand over his mouth, covering his yawn. It immediately dropped when he saw Jax, his emerald eyes making direct contact with her light-purple ones. Jax was stuck in time; she could literally not move. Her brother had very intense, dark eyes.  
  
Then Jax felt her arm being jerked in the direction of her doorway, her eyes not leaving Harry's. She did a double-take when Tonks slammed the door behind her.  
  
"What the hell was THAT?" Tonks hissed. "You know perfectly well that he's not to even know of your existence until the train ride to Hogwarts!"  
  
Jax looked down at her feet, to her shoulder, and then to Tonks' crazy eyes.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. He just came out of the door, and looked at me. I couldn't take my eyes off of his. A girl wonders, you know?"  
  
Tonks let go of Jax's arm, which she had been tightly gripping. Her expression softened, and she looked at Jax, who was obviously on the verge of tears.  
  
"This is so confusing!" Jax exclaimed.  
  
Her back slid down the door, and she buried her head in her knees. Tonks sat down next to her, sympathetically. She wrapped an arm around Jax, doing what she could to comfort her.  
  
"I mean, two days ago I completely understood my life! How am I supposed to understand it now?"  
  
Tonks hadn't a clue how to answer her question, so she said the only thing she knew to say.  
  
"You really need to get some rest, Jax. I bet you didn't even sleep last night, did you?"  
  
Jax chuckled.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't have if Dumbledore hadn't placed a sleeping charm on me."  
  
"Come on, you've had a rough day. It will all get better, Jax. I promise. It's all downhill from here."  
  
Jax nodded, and walked over to her bed. She got under the covers and quickly drifted off to sleep. Tonks closed the door quietly, and put her back to the door. She knew that what she had just said was a load of bull. The moment Jax had gotten onto that broom earlier that morning; she had barely begun her journey. And the going "uphill" part hadn't even started.  
  
A/N: Review, Please! 


	6. Just a 'Little' Talk

A/N: I'm really sorry about that mess up with chaps. 4 and 5 being the same! I changed chap four back to what it's supposed to be so.... You should read it!  
  
Justblue24: Thanks for catching that for me! And, I'm sorry that you were disappointed in chapter five, but it was named "The Meeting" because of the dinner with the Order, not because of Harry and Jax. Harry and Jax's meeting comes in chap. Eight so... just keep reading! (Chapter eight will be up on Sunday)  
  
Jax woke up a couple of hours later, only to look out the window and see darkness. She looked at her watch.  
  
"Twelve thirty? Dammit! I wished I had paid more attention when Dumbledore put that sleeping charm on me."  
  
Jax carefully climbed out of bed, trying not to make a sound. She walked over to her trunk, which Lupin had brought up before she went to bed, and opened it. She took out one of her magazines and went back to the bed. She buried herself in the covers, trying to stay warm. It was awfully cold in her room.  
  
She opened up the magazine, quickly scanning it to see if there was anything worth reading. She flipped it closed and rested her head on the wall. She then remembered what Mrs. Weasley had said earlier that day.  
  
Jax leaned in to the wall, pressing her ear against it. Sure enough, she could hear two voices coming from the next room.  
  
"Harry, have you noticed how odd everybody has been acting around here?"  
  
Jax recognized the voice of Mrs. Weasley's son, Ron.  
  
"Ron, please. You can't go anywhere in the wizarding world without anybody acting weird."  
  
Jax heard Harry laugh and smiled. She liked her brother's laugh.  
  
"I know that, Harry, but everyone has been acting extra weird. Like there's something to hide."  
  
Jax was intrigued by Ron's statement, and pressed her ear up closer.  
  
"I don't know, Ron. What do you think it could be? Another attempt on my life? That's nothing to hide."  
  
Jax's brow furrowed, dismayed by what Harry said.  
  
'Another attempt on his life?' Jax thought. 'What's that supposed to mean?'  
  
"That's not funny, Harry. And you know it. You shouldn't make jokes like that."  
  
"It wasn't a joke, Ron."  
  
"So, what else? Tell me more about your summer. Does dear old Duddykins still quake in fear of you?"  
  
Ron tried to quickly change the subject.  
  
"Yeah, but it's not as much fun anymore. Now that they know I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school, they're not as intimidated. But Moody sure scares the heck out of 'em."  
  
Ron laughed, and Jax joined silently. Moody could scare the heck out of anyone!  
  
"Um, Harry?"  
  
Jax noticed a tone of nervousness in Ron's voice.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you like Hermione? Like, like her like her?"  
  
"No WAY! Hermione's definitely not my type."  
  
There was a quick pause, and then Harry continued.  
  
"Why? Do you like her?"  
  
There was no answer, at least from Jax's side. She pressed her ear up even closer, trying her hardest to hear what was happening.  
  
"Uh... kinda?"  
  
Jax heard a loud bang, as if someone had just jumped on the floor very, very hard.  
  
"You're not SERIOUS, are you?"  
  
"Um, well.... Yeah."  
  
Jax yet again felt pieces of plaster from the ceiling falling on her head. The dust slowly trickled down into her nostrils, and Jax started to breath heavily, trying to hold back the sneeze that was dying to emerge.  
  
"ACHOO!"  
  
Every dust particle escaped Jax's nose, and although she felt much better, she dreaded what came next.  
  
"Harry, what was that?" Ron asked.  
  
Jax heard Harry, or Ron, cross the room. Then she heard loud steps banging along the hallway.  
  
"Harry! Ron! WHO SNEEZED?"  
  
Jax didn't recognize the voice, but she took a wild guess.  
  
"Hermione, honestly, it wasn't us."  
  
"Oh, you lie, Harry Potter! It wasn't Ginny or I, so who could it have been? Fred and George are in Romania visiting Charlie!"  
  
Jax heard Ron join the conversation.  
  
"Hermione, it was just a sneeze. You don't have to get so heated!"  
  
"Get so HEATED? Ron Weasley, do you realize what time of night it is? It's one o'clock, for heaven's sake!"  
  
"Hermione, if they say it wasn't them, it wasn't them. We should believe them."  
  
Jax heard a second voice she didn't recognize. It sounded like a female Ron.  
  
"Ginny, stay out of this!"  
  
"Hermione, I swear it wasn't us! I'm sorry you were woken up- but it wasn't us!"  
  
"Well, Ron Weasley, who was it, if it wasn't you two?"  
  
Jax felt her body start to sweat. What if they found her?  
  
"Hermione, do you know what is in that room?" asked Ginny.  
  
She pointed to the door beside Ron and Harry's.  
  
"I wouldn't know. Ron? Harry?"  
  
"We don't have a clue. At least, I don't. Harry?"  
  
Harry grew an interested look on his face. He put his hand up to his scar and started to rub it.  
  
"Now that you mention it..."  
  
Jax heard footsteps coming closer to her door. She looked around the room for a place to hide- there was nowhere. She bunched behind her bed, trying to hide as much as she could.  
  
The doorknob started to jiggle, Jax could hear it.  
  
"Dammit... it's locked," Harry muttered.  
  
He ran back into his room and picked his wand up from the nightstand. He came back, pointing it at the keyhole.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing??"  
  
Jax heard Hermione tell Harry off.  
  
"I'm trying to unlock the damn door! Now move back."  
  
"Well, what you're going to do is get yourself right back at the ministry, just like you did last summer! We're only sixth years, Harry. You know we can't do magic outside of school!"  
  
"Shut UP, Hermione! Just let him do it! I know you're just as eager to see what's behind the door," exclaimed Ron.  
  
Harry put his wand down by his side. He knew that Hermione was right. He shouldn't; couldn't do it.  
  
"No, Ron. She's right. It doesn't matter; we'll ask Dumbledore in the morning. It's not worth the risk."  
  
Jax relaxed, relieved that they weren't even going to try to get in. She knew that special locks had been placed on her door, but she still didn't want any trouble.  
  
"Good for you, Harry," Ginny praised.  
  
"But we still don't know who sneezed!"  
  
Ron stomped his foot on the floor.  
  
"Ron, it doesn't matter! We've probably woken up the rest of the house already! Just go to bed!"  
  
Ginny pushed her brother in the direction of his bedroom.  
  
"You women are just... just... IMPOSSIBLE!"  
  
Ron stomped the short three feet to the door.  
  
"He's probably not gonna sleep now, knowing him," Ginny explained.  
  
"Oh well. It's just as good," Harry said.  
  
"How so?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I usually never sleep at night, so it's just as good that Ron doesn't so we can talk. It's better than staring at the ceiling."  
  
Jax smiled, now sitting on her bed. She and her brother did the exact same thing when they had nothing better to do. Stare at the ceiling.  
  
"I'm gonna go try to get back to sleep- Professor Moody promised he'd help me tomorrow with my Potions essay- I'm doing it on Vertiaserum. If there was anyone in the Order who could help me with that, it'd be him."  
  
"Hermione, classes don't start for another week! You're already staring your summer essays?"  
  
Hermione looked taken aback.  
  
"I started in early July! And I would have started earlier if they had sent out the requirements list sooner."  
  
Harry put a hand to his head, and started to rub the area between his eyebrows.  
  
"Look, Hermione, can I just go to bed? I really don't want to talk about homework right now."  
  
"But you said you weren't going to be able to sleep anyways. Why not?"  
  
"Because it's HOMEWORK, Hermione. For the length that you've known me, since when have I enjoyed homework?"  
  
"Well, there's-"  
  
"And Lupin doesn't count."  
  
Nothing came out of Hermione's mouth.  
  
"That's what I thought. Now go to bed, please?"  
  
Hermione just stared at Harry and then turned her back, and walked to her bedroom door, Ginny following close behind. Harry took one last look at the keyhole, dying to know what was behind it. He then turned the opposite direction, and walked into his own room.  
  
As Jax heard Harry's door close, she got up onto her bed and sighed deeply. This was going to be harder than she thought.  
  
A/N: Review, please! 


	7. Diagon Alley

A/N: I'm really sorry about not updating, guys! I had a math contest on Saturday so.... I got really busy! But this one is longer than usual... and I :hope: to have eight up tomorrow!  
  
"So... let me get this straight. Textbooks, Robes, Wand, Cauldron, Quills, Ink, and a Bookbag...?"  
  
"Yes, Tonks. Now could you PLEASE wake her? I have some things I want to buy also!"  
  
Jax woke up to the sound of Lupin and Tonks' voices coming from a corner in her room. She lay still, trying to make them think she was still asleep.  
  
"Okay, okay! Don't be so uptight, Remus!"  
  
Tonks crossed over to the figure that lay in the bed and gently shook it.  
  
"Jax? Jax, sweetie, wake up!"  
  
Jax purposely didn't move. She kept as stiff as a log, not even breathing.  
  
"Remus! She... she won't get up!"  
  
Tonks shook Jax a bit harder, and Lupin's forehead creased as he crossed the room.  
  
"Jax! Jax, wake up!"  
  
Tonks started to shake harder, but Lupin stopped her. He mouthed 'follow my lead' to a confused Tonks, and put his hand up to the side of his mouth.  
  
"Well, Tonks, since Jax is asleep, I'll just call in her brother to wake her up! I mean, what better position for Harry to meet her for the first time?" Lupin said loudly, knowing that Harry and Ron left early that morning with Mr. Weasley to go see a Quidditch game.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Jax abruptly sat up in her bed, confused and angry. Lupin laughed, and Tonks nervously laughed, embarrassed that she thought that there was something wrong with Jax.  
  
"You are just like James... a good prankster, yet so gullible," Lupin said, chuckling.  
  
Jax smiled, and got out from under the covers. There was some silence as Tonks settled down and Lupin tried to contain his laughs. Jax finally broke the silence.  
  
"So... what were we doing today again?"  
  
"Well just get dressed and we'll get you there, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Lupin and Tonks left the room, smiling. Lupin was still shaking his head, amazed at how good of a blend she was of her parents. She had Lily's looks and James' good qualities, just like her brother but reversed.  
  
Jax closed the door behind them and locked it, excited. She picked up a pair of tight black jeans and a deep, long-sleeved red shirt and put them on. She had always liked to flatter her dark hair with dark-toned clothes. She caked on eyeliner and lipstick, smacking her lips together. She ran a brush though her hair and put her boots on. She didn't bother really doing herself up since she had no clue where she was going.  
  
"Jax?"  
  
Jax heard a knock on her door. It was Tonks.  
  
"I'm coming!"  
  
She grabbed her jacket and opened the door. Tonks stared at her, looking her over.  
  
"I like your clothes. Especially the shirt... where'd you get it?"  
  
"No where special. I think I got it from my best friend Maddie."  
  
Jax looked away, thinking about her best friend. She shook off the thought, though. There was no turning back now.  
  
"I'm so hungry. Is there any breakfast left?" Jax asked Tonks.  
  
"Oh yeah! Sure!"  
  
Tonks turned and walked down the staircase, telling Jax to follow. Immediately Jax smelled bacon, eggs, and potatoes.  
  
"Oh, man that smells wonderful!"  
  
"Grab yourself a plate and help yourself, dear. Glad to see you're finally awake!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley greeted Jax with a warm smile, handing her a clean plate and pointing to the piles of food on the table.  
  
"Everyone just left... they were all asking about you. But I told them that you needed your rest. Diagon Alley is a tiring trip!"  
  
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."  
  
Jax walked over to the table and loaded on the food, it all was so tempting. She sat down next to Lupin, who was reading the Daily Prophet.  
  
"Is that the newspaper?"  
  
Jax craned her neck over to the paper, trying to read the headlines.  
  
"It's nothing special; just like any other muggle paper. Except the pictures move."  
  
Tonks laughed, nodding in agreement. She walked over with a glass of orange juice and placed it in front of Jax, and sat down herself.  
  
"So, Jax, I know a certain person who had a birthday very recently..."  
  
Jax blushed and started to play with her food. She hadn't been expecting them to remember her birthday.  
  
"What do you want? Dumbledore slipped me a couple of extra coins last night after you were asleep," Lupin joined in.  
  
Jax smiled, and remembered her experience the previous morning on the broom. She looked up to the three faces smiling at her.  
  
"A broom. I want a broom."  
  
Lupin beamed; he had been hoping that was what she would choose.  
  
"Well, that's certainly easy to get! A Nimbus 3000 should be sufficient, right?"  
  
"Is that what I rode on yesterday? Because that's the kind I want."  
  
"Yes, a 3000 was the make you rode yesterday. And you rode it beautifully, may I add."  
  
Jax blushed again, this time all the way down to her toes. Never in her life had she imagined being complimented on flying a broom.  
  
Jax finished up the food on her plate and handed it to Mrs. Weasley, who gave it a flick of her wand, and it immediately started to wash itself. Jax brushed aside her bangs, revealing her scar. The three adults stared at her, concentrating on the scar.  
  
"What?"  
  
Jax was confused at their looks. Tonks advanced to her, and put her hand up to Jax's forehead. She barely brushed the scar with her hand, but it was enough for Jax to get the idea.  
  
"Oh, this?"  
  
Jax brought her bangs up even more for them to see it. They all continued to stare, but Lupin broke the silence finally.  
  
"Put your bangs down, dear. I'm going to tell you something, and it's very important. Are you listening?"  
  
Jax put her hand down and nodded.  
  
"Your scar is the only dead giveaway to your true identity. Not many people know that there was actually a second Potter, but many know about the Dark Lord's scars. And only three people possess them. Harry, you, and the Dark Lord himself. That means that you have to keep your scar hidden at all times, you hear?"  
  
Jax nodded, understanding.  
  
"Okay! Let's get a move on!"  
  
Tonks, Lupin and Jax stood up and walked towards the door, Mrs. Weasley waving them goodbye.  
  
"So, how are we getting to this place?"  
  
"The only way possible. Muggle transport," Tonks replied.  
  
"You mean car?"  
  
"Yeah. Whatever those things on wheels are. They have a motor and little foot thingies..."  
  
"Yeah. That would be a car. Do you know how to drive one?"  
  
"Merlin, No! I wouldn't ever even touch one of those things! Arthur enchanted it to drive itself."  
  
"Cool," Jax nodded, approving.  
  
They all turned to look down the street as a car appeared out of nowhere, honking at the three. Lupin gestured for Jax to get it first, so she reached for the handle, but the door flew open before she could do anything. She stepped in, gasping at the elegance of the car. It was like a limousine, but packed into a small, ordinary car.  
  
Tonks came next, and sat next to Jax. Lupin climbed in finally, closing the door behind him. Jax's face grew a confused look on it.  
  
"Won't it look just a bit strange when there's nobody behind the wheel?"  
  
"Oh, these nosy muggles. I'll take care of it," Tonks said, annoyed.  
  
She took out her wand and muttered something, and in the driver's seat appeared a figure that looked exactly like her. She admired her work, and finally gave the wand another flick, and the car immediately started up.  
  
"This thing is really cool," Jax exclaimed calmly.  
  
"Well, Arthur is quite the genius when it comes to Muggle inventions," Lupin praised.  
  
The car ride was silent, yet very pleasant for Jax. She had only been away from the muggle world for two days, and she already missed it terribly. She enjoyed driving along the roads she knew well, seeing all of her usual hangouts. She grew a disappointed look on her face when she felt the car come to an abrupt stop.  
  
"Come on, Jax! We've got a big day ahead of us!"  
  
Tonks held out a hand to help Jax out of the car. Jax took it, and pulled herself out. She looked around, and recognized the street she was on. She gave Tonks a confused look.  
  
"We're not there yet, silly!" Tonks exclaimed, as if she could read Jax's mind.  
  
Lupin started walking in the opposite direction of the car, motioning for Jax and Tonks to follow him. He stepped into a pub nearby, not looking back to see if the other two were following. Tonks quickened her step in order to catch up, and she caught the door as it was closing. She held it open for Jax, and followed Jax in. Lupin was waiting at the back entrance, calmly leaning against the wall. He looked to Jax, addressing her with his eyes.  
  
"Are you ready for Diagon Alley, Jax?"  
  
Lupin had a quirky smile on his face.  
  
"Yes! Let's go, please!" Jax replied eagerly.  
  
"Alright..."  
  
Lupin pushed open the door, only to open up to a brick wall. Jax looked disappointed.  
  
"A brick wall? This is what you get me excited for?"  
  
"Have faith, dear. Always have faith," Tonks said.  
  
Lupin pulled his wand out and tapped various bricks. The bricks then started to shift, alternating. Jax watched with content, amazed at what was happening before her very eyes. Lupin stepped through the opening, and pulled Jax along with him.  
  
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Jax."  
  
Jax squealed with delight. She watched the witches and wizards pass in front of her; all of them busy shopping in order for the new school term to begin. Tonks took Jax's arm and walked her down the sidewalk, in the direction of Gringotts.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Gringotts, of course!"  
  
"What's Gringotts?"  
  
"The most trusted bank in the entire wizarding world," Lupin explained.  
  
"Whoa."  
  
Jax gaped at the enormous stone building in front of her.  
  
"Let's get in so we can start shopping."  
  
Tonks dragged Jax eagerly into the building. Jax stared at the small, hideous creatures behind the tall marble desks.  
  
"Don't stare. They'll stare back," Lupin discreetly whispered into Jax's ear.  
  
Jax immediately looked away. She instead chose a vase at the end of the hall to concentrate on. Tonks stopped in front of a goblin with glasses that resembled Dumbledore's. She leant in to the goblin, whispering something in his ear.  
  
His eyes opened very wide, and stared at Jax. Jax looked away, not wanting to look at the goblin's gloomy, yellow eyes.  
  
"Very well," the goblin squeaked.  
  
He got down from the desk, a lamp and rather large set of keys in hand.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
He waved his hand in the direction of a large door at the end of the hall. Tonks instantly followed, yet Jax was having second thoughts about going. Lupin gave her a shove, making Jax fall forward and catch herself with her feet. She reluctantly followed Tonks, Lupin right on her tail.  
  
The goblin led the three to a cart, and handed the set of keys to Lupin, and the lamp to Tonks. He pushed forward a lever, and the cart started to move. It continued along the dark, gloomy tracks in what seemed to be a cave. The cart abruptly stopped, and the goblin got out.  
  
"Lamp!" he demanded.  
  
Tonks handed him the lamp. He hobbled over to the vault door, and held his hand out behind him.  
  
"Key!"  
  
Lupin gave the key to the goblin, keeping an eye on Jax at all times.  
  
The goblin placed the key into the door, and kept twisting it until a loud 'click' rang throughout the cave. The door swung open, revealing a large pile of gold coins. Jax's eyes widened, as did Tonks'. Lupin, though, wasn't too surprised. He was quite aware of Lily and James' rather large fortune.  
  
Jax instinctually got out of the cart and immediately wrapped her arms around herself. The cold air suddenly consumed her; making her body shiver and teeth clatter.  
  
"Jax, go and help yourself. But don't take too much, or your brother will notice," Tonks warned.  
  
Lupin chuckled at Tonks' remark. As if Harry would notice something like that. Jax walked over to Tonks and took the small pouch she held out to her. She walked into the vault, looking over her shoulder and making sure the door didn't close behind her. Jax picked a handful of money up and felt the cold coins slip through her fingers as they fell into the pouch. She repeated this twice more, and closed the bag when she felt satisfied. She turned to Tonks and Lupin, who were patiently waiting, and nodded; indicating that she was ready.  
  
"Okay, onto Olivanders!" Lupin's voice rang.  
  
Jax kept her hands tightly closed on the pouch as she got back onto the cart, scooting closer to Tonks so the lamp could keep her warm. Lupin handed over his dragon-skin coat to Jax; she took it with much appreciation.  
  
The cart ride back was much shorter than the way there. Jax quickly got out of the cart, and ran through the doors; restless to see sunlight again. She impatiently waited for Lupin and Tonks and they thanked the goblin and passed him a coin as a tip.  
  
"Can we GO, please?" Jax said.  
  
"Yes, yes. Let's get a move on."  
  
Jax handed Lupin's coat back to him, anxious to get the smell of dragon hide away from her before it got too attached.  
  
The trio walked down the long hallway of the building, Lupin giving the goblin one last tip of his bowler. Jax hurriedly walked out the doors, which were opened for her by two goblins in red suits.  
  
"Thank you," Tonks said loudly, trying to get a point across to Jax.  
  
"Thanks," Jax muttered.  
  
Lupin lead the two down a sidewalk, two young boys almost knocking him down as they tried to catch an orange cat.  
  
"I never want to go back in there again!" Jax exclaimed. "They all just stared at me like I was some huge freak! And if there was anyone to call a freak in there, it would certainly be them!"  
  
"Calm down, Jax! It wasn't that terrible!" Tonks said.  
  
"Hmmph," Jax huffed.  
  
She continued to walk with her arms crossed and eyes staring at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with anybody else. She stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd; everyone else was wearing wizard's robes. She was the only one in street clothes. She also took notice of everyone's shoes, having always wondered if witches really did have those pointy shoes with silver buckles. They didn't.  
  
"Oof!" Jax said, as she ran into Lupin's back.  
  
"Might want to watch out next time," Lupin mentioned as he looked down to a flushed Jax.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Don't be. Now let's go in before I freeze to death."  
  
Lupin pushed open a door, and they were greeted by a loud 'clang' of a bell at the top of the door. Jax felt the warmth of the roaring fire nearby, and became very relaxed.  
  
"Mr. Ollivander?" Lupin yelled.  
  
He stepped behind a desk and peered down a long, dusty hallway.  
  
"Mr. Ollivander!" Lupin yelled again, looking down the opposite corridor.  
  
"Not so loud, Remus, or you might wake sleeping people in China."  
  
Jax saw a wrinkled old man come from behind Lupin. He resembled Einstein in some ways, his hair especially.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. So wonderful to see you again."  
  
"My pleasure, Remus. But what are you doing here? I thought I warned you about misplacing your wand!"  
  
"Oh, no, Mr. Ollivander. We're here to get a wand for Jax."  
  
Lupin looked to Jax, who had taken a seat on the dusty floor next to the hearth. Mr. Ollivander's eyes grew wide, and shook his head as if he was hallucinating.  
  
"But... I thought Dumbledore had decided..."  
  
Mr. Ollivander looked to Lupin in disbelief.  
  
"Dumbledore decided different. We need a wand, please."  
  
Lupin looked to Jax, who hadn't been paying attention.  
  
"Jax? Could you come here?"  
  
Jax quickly turned to Lupin as he said her name, just like a dog would. Lupin motioned for her to rise, and reluctantly she got up and walked over to him.  
  
"Jax, meet Mr. Ollivander."  
  
Jax stuck her hand out over the counter, Mr. Ollivander taking it slowly, still in disbelief.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Sir."  
  
"You also, dear," Mr. Ollivander finally spoke.  
  
He quickly turned to the rows and shelves of wand boxes behind him. He looked over the boxes, muttering to himself while doing it. He picked a few boxes from the shelves, and turned to place them on the counter, when he dropped them all on the floor as if he had just realized something. He briskly walked over and picked a box that had been sitting on the shelf alone.  
  
"Try this one," he said to Jax as he opened the box and gestured for her to take it.  
  
Jax stared at it for a moment, and looked to Lupin for reassurance. He nodded, also gesturing for her to take it.  
  
Jax moved her right hand to the box, and it hovered above it for a moment. She advanced it, but drew back. She took a deep breath and grabbed the wand out of the box. The area around her started to glow in some sort of way, and she felt a rush of wind overtake her. She fell down, her scar starting to hurt like heck.  
  
"OW!" she started to scream.  
  
She put her hands to her head and started to roll on the ground in pain. She felt a white hot pain form on her scar. Lupin rushed down to the ground and picked her up in his arms.  
  
"Jax! Jax!"  
  
Suddenly the pain all whisked away, and her hands left her head. She looked around in bewilderment, and then to Lupin, who was suspending her three feet in the air.  
  
"Wha- Are you-"  
  
"I- I'm fine."  
  
Lupin cautiously put her down.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"My scar. It- oops."  
  
She stopped when she saw Mr. Ollivander staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She remembered what Lupin had warned her earlier that morning.  
  
"No- go ahead. Its fine," Lupin said, seeing the concern on her face.  
  
"It just started to hurt like hell the minute I touched the wand."  
  
"Perfect!" Ollivander exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean, Sir? I'm not doing magic with a wand that is going to cause me pain every time I touch it."  
  
Mr. Ollivander chuckled.  
  
"Darling, that was just your wand's way of telling you that it was the one for you. I've had many different experiences- like when your father, James, came in here for his wand; it picked him up four feet in the air and dropped him on the hard ground! You can't exactly explain wands, really- they're quite odd. But I can tell yours likes you."  
  
Jax arched her eyebrow at Mr. Ollivander. She walked over to where she had dropped her wand and carefully picked it up. She cringed, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.  
  
"Okay," Jax sighed. "I guess he's right."  
  
"Of course I'm right, darling."  
  
Mr. Ollivander took the wand from her hand and placed it back in the box.  
  
"Mr. Ollivander, if I may ask, what is the wand made of?" Lupin questioned.  
  
"12 inch, cedar, unicorn hair. It suits her perfectly."  
  
"Unicorn hair? Isn't that very rare in wands?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Very much so. But she's a rare witch, isn't she?" Ollivander questioned without looking up.  
  
Lupin smiled.  
  
"Yes. I would say so."  
  
Jax smiled back. Mr. Ollivander handed her her wand.  
  
"Professor, I don't know how much to pay him."  
  
"Oh! Of course."  
  
Lupin took the bag that held Jax's money in it and handed the man several coins.  
  
"Thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander. And, if you could keep this a secret, that would be wonderful."  
  
"You know secrets are always safe with me, Remus."  
  
All Lupin did was smile, and looked at Jax.  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
"You're very much welcome, Miss Potter."  
  
"Bye!"  
  
Lupin and Jax walked out of the store, when Jax realized that Tonks wasn't with them.  
  
"Professor, where's Tonks?"  
  
"Tonks is right here!"  
  
Jax heard Tonks' voice call out to them from behind. Jax spun around to see Tonks holding a stack of books in her right hand, and in her left, a brand new Nimbus 3000.  
  
"OHMIGOSH!"  
  
Jax ran over to Tonks and attacked her with a hug, and grabbed her broom as she pulled back. Various people turned to stare at the scene Jax was making; but she didn't mind.  
  
"Thank you so much!"  
  
Jax hugged a surprised Tonks again, as Lupin smiled from behind.  
  
"Happy birthday, Jax."  
  
Lupin came over and patted her on the shoulder. She looked up and wrapped her arms around his torso, giving him a hug also.  
  
"Oh, so sentimental."  
  
Tonks smiled at the two.  
  
"Come on, we have to get your robes, Jax!"  
  
"Okay. Can I try my broom later?"  
  
"Of course! But we still have some things to pick up."  
  
Lupin led the two girls; both of them fussing over Jax's new broom; to Madam Malkin's Robes.  
  
He made Jax lay her broom by the door, and stayed with it and her books as she and Tonks headed over to try on robes.  
  
"Okay, you're going to mostly need black robes, 'k?"  
  
"Um... okay."  
  
"Maybe one or two dress robes... I actually try to avoid wearing robes, myself. But Dumbledore insisted me wearing them today since I was on 'official' business. Euugh!"  
  
Jax wasn't paying attention to Tonks; she had taken a certain interest in a deep blue robe with white stars. She picked it up from the rack and fingered it, admiring the fabric.  
  
"You like that one? It'd be a good dress selection."  
  
"Yeah. I like it. Can I get this one?"  
  
"Certainly! Um... here."  
  
Tonks looked around for some place to hang the ones they had chosen. She didn't see anywhere, so she pulled out her wand.  
  
"Windgardium Leviosa," Tonks muttered.  
  
The robe levitated a couple of inches from the ground, and stayed. Jax looked at it, getting to see a complete view.  
  
"It's beautiful!" Jax exclaimed.  
  
"It'll look even better on you," Tonks praised. "We have to get your other ones- here."  
  
She walked over to a rack full of plain, black robes. She picked up a medium size.  
  
"Try these two on," she lifted the charm off of the blue robe.  
  
Tonks draped the black around her, adjusting it in different places. Jax turned around, adjusting it also.  
  
"Awesome! That looks amazing on you."  
  
Jax blushed.  
  
"They're just plain robes, Tonks."  
  
"Yeah, but they don't look plain on you."  
  
Jax smiled, still red.  
  
"Okay, so can I try on the blue one now?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
Tonks took the black one off of Jax and put on the blue one. Jax adjusted it herself, and then stepped back so Tonks could get a better view.  
  
"Oh, Merlin! It looks fantastic on you!"  
  
"Is there a mirror or something I can look at myself in?"  
  
"Yeah, over there."  
  
Tonks pointed to a long mirror at the back of the shop, around the boys' robes. Jax wandered towards the mirror as Tonks started to find more black robes. Jax found the mirror, and started admiring herself in it. Tonks was right; she looked awesome. For once, Jax actually looked like a witch. And that was exactly how she wanted to look.  
  
Jax turned around and started to head in Tonks' direction. She stared at a deep green robe in the boys' section. She wondered about how good it would look on Harry.  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Jax ran into something soft. She looked up, and met the eyes of the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. He had piercing blue eyes and pale yellow hair.  
  
"Watch it!" the boy hissed.  
  
"I'm so sorry.... I wasn't paying attention to where I was going..."  
  
"Well, isn't that obvious?"  
  
"I said I was sorry."  
  
Jax tried to walk around the boy, wanting to not continue the conversation. He blocked her, and as she stepped in the opposite direction, he blocked her there.  
  
"Would you please let me pass?"  
  
"Not until I get your name."  
  
Jax gave him a disgusted face. Like she would ever go out with a guy as stuck up as him. Even if he was a god.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
She tried to get away once more, but he was too quick. He held out a hand and gave her a grin.  
  
"Draco Malfoy."  
  
She sighed, and she thought she might as well be nice. She took his hand and introduced herself.  
  
"Jax Pierce."  
  
He let go, and leaned against the wall, leaving a clear path for her to leave. But she was now under his spell, and she wouldn't leave. He was good, the bastard.  
  
"Seriously? Hmm... I probably could have mistaken you for a Potter. Same black hair, facial structure.... Not that I pay much attention to Potter's looks."  
  
Jax felt flips going on in her stomach. Was it that easy to tell?  
  
"But... Harry Potter doesn't have any siblings."  
  
"True. I thought maybe a cousin or something. Oh well. Where do you go to school? Durmstrang? Beauxbatons?"  
  
"Umm... Hogwarts. I just transferred here."  
  
"Really? What year?"  
  
"Sixth. You?"  
  
"Same. Now I find you not being a Potter a good thing... I can ask you out."  
  
The spell was broken. Like she would ever do something as stupid as that.  
  
"Uhh... that's okay. But thank you. It was kind to offer."  
  
"Kind? A Malfoy is never kind, may I say. However, we can be generous at times."  
  
"Right. I have to get going. I'll see you next week, perhaps."  
  
"You can bet on it."  
  
He winked, and walked over to the mirror and admired his new robes. Jax walked away, and found that Tonks had already paid.  
  
"Thank God. Let's get out of here."  
  
"Okay. What took you so long?" Tonks asked, as the two started towards the door.  
  
"Nothing. Just some guy," Jax replied.  
  
A/N: Could there be something stirring up between a Malfoy and a... POTTER? Nah, you wouldn't find out until later chapters anyway... hehe. So, REVIEW, PLEASE!! 


	8. Hogwarts Express

A/N: Okay, you guys can get all excited now! It's time for Harry and Jax's first meeting! (My definition of 'meeting': The two see each other face to face, and DO communticate!)  
  
"Shut UP, Lily!" Jax hissed.  
  
Jax was woken by the small hoot and ruffle of her owl, Lily. She had been a birthday present from the Order. The bird gave another hoot, and started flapping around.  
  
"Lily, please, be QUIET!" Jax pleaded.  
  
Jax picked her wand up from her nightstand and pointed it at the birdcage.  
  
"Silencio," she muttered.  
  
The bird immediately closed her eyes and didn't make another sound.  
  
Jax had been given special permission by the Ministry of Magic to do magic outside of school, given her circumstance. Various people including Tonks, Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore and McGonagall had been giving her lessons for the past week. Jax had covered most of the material that Harry, Ron, and Hermione learned in their first year already. And when the four (including Ginny) were out, Jax received flying lessons from Tonks. She was doing quite well.  
  
Jax immediately felt her stomach grow nervous. She had just remembered what today was. Today was the day she left for Hogwarts. Today was the day she finally met Harry, face to face. She looked at her watch. It was five o' clock in the morning. She was supposed to leave in an hour, so she could avoid leaving at the same time Harry and the others did.  
  
"Jax?"  
  
Jax heard Tonks whisper her name outside the door. Jax pointed her wand at the door, and muttered a spell to make the door open. She had just learned it the other day, but she was getting very good at it.  
  
"Yeah, I'm up," Jax said as the door creaked open and she found Tonks' face on the opposite side.  
  
"Awesome job with that Alohomora charm. It took me ages to figure out."  
  
"Keep your voice down!" Jax warned.  
  
"Right... okay, you get ready. Everything's packed, right?"  
  
"Yes! You asked me that like eight times last night!"  
  
"Sorry. It's just... it's hard to see you go, sweetie."  
  
"I know, Tonks. But now that I have Lily I can owl you all the time! It'll be good, you'll see."  
  
"Oh, I know it will be fine. Now get dressed. Molly's going to pack us breakfast to go."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Tonks closed the door, and Jax picked up what she was going to wear. She had picked it out two nights ago. Jax pulled on her black tights, and stuck on her white top. She added her black skirt, and silver hoop earrings. She knew all of this was pointless since she would have to change into her robes at some point on the train, but hopefully Harry would notice her before then. She put on eyeliner, red lip pencil, and brushed a light highlighter over her skin. She brushed her hair and used a curler to flare it- and straightened her bangs. Then she grabbed her boots, jacket, birdcage, and wand.  
  
"Locomotor Trunk," she muttered.  
  
Her trunk rose up several inches above the ground and followed her as she quietly crept down the stairs.  
  
"Whoa. Hot stuff comin' through!"  
  
Tonks gave a low whistle as Jax came down the last few steps of the staircase. Jax blushed.  
  
"You're going to knock Harry off his feet!"  
  
"Thanks, Tonks. I'm ready to go."  
  
"Okay. Here, let me take Lily. Put your boots on."  
  
Jax handed Tonks Lily and sat down on a chair in the kitchen. She pulled her boots on, and wrapped her jacket around herself. She put her wand in her pocket, and stood up.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley emerged from the corridor. She handed Jax, Tonks, and Lupin their breakfasts. She had tears running down her face.  
  
"Oh, I always get this teary when my own children leave! I'll have to do this again in an hour..."  
  
"Bye, Mrs. Weasley. I'll owl you the instant I get to school."  
  
"And make sure to tell me that you got into Gryffindor."  
  
"Mrs. Weasley!"  
  
Everyone had been pressing Dumbledore to just let Jax into Gryffindor and save the Sorting Hat the trouble. Dumbledore refused, and said that it was the Sorting Hat's decision to what house she was placed in.  
  
"Sorry, dear. You have everything? Okay, safe trip!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley's eyes started to water again, and she kissed Jax on each cheek.  
  
"Bye Mrs. Weasley!"  
  
Jax, Lupin and Tonks walked out of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone or anything but Mrs. Weasley. It was just in time, also, since just as Jax closed the door, she heard footsteps pounding down the staircase.  
  
The three climbed into the same car they had rode in less than a week ago. This time Lupin made himself the driver; as Jax tried to quiet Lily. The charm had worn off since she woke up, and for some reason it wasn't working anymore.  
  
They all ate their breakfast in silence, except for the small hoot Lily gave every time she wanted some of Jax's food.  
  
"Why in the world are you even awake, bird? You're supposed to be nocturnal!" Jax said, very annoyed.  
  
"Be patient, Jax. You've only had her for a couple of days. She hasn't had the time to get to know you," Lupin explained.  
  
"Yes, Professor."  
  
Jax had gotten used to calling Lupin 'Professor', and when he announced that he would be coming back as the Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, she was ecstatic. He was one of her favorite members of the Order, beside Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Moody, and Dumbledore.  
  
The car stopped, and Jax found them outside King's Cross Station. There were already several young witches and wizards scooting about, even if it was seven thirty. The train would leave in about an hour and a half.  
  
"Okay, Jax, let's get a move on!"  
  
Tonks and Lupin got out and took her trunk out of the back. Jax found a trolley, and she put everything on it.  
  
"Professor, don't you have luggage?" she asked Lupin.  
  
"Oh, I sent it up there days ago. I find it a big hassle to carry around all the time."  
  
"Are you going to be in the train with me?"  
  
"No, sorry about that. Dumbledore has arranged special transportation for me."  
  
"Oh, ok. Will you come on with me and help me settle in? The train won't leave for a good hour."  
  
"I'll go with you, sweetie. Remus, go ahead. I'll speak to you later," said Tonks.  
  
"Alright. Bye, Jax! Safe trip! And, good luck with Harry!"  
  
"Thank you, Professor. I'll see you later, right?"  
  
"Right. Bye!"  
  
Lupin waved goodbye to Tonks and Jax, and got into the car. The two girls watched it drive away, and then headed for platform nine and three quarters.  
  
"Platform nine and three quarters must be the weirdest platform I've ever heard of," Jax said, as she pushed her cart.  
  
"Yeah, it kind of confused me the first time I crossed it. But its loads of fun once you get the hang of it," Tonks replied enthusiastically.  
  
Jax stopped pushing the cart in front of platforms nine and ten. She watched as several kids with trunks and pets like her dove through the barrier.  
  
"Whoa," was all she could get out.  
  
"Come on! You go first."  
  
"I don't know, Tonks...."  
  
"Oh, puh-lease! You can't back out now."  
  
Jax nodded, knowing that she was right. Jax positioned herself in very middle of the barrier. She charged toward the middle, half-expecting to come bouncing back off of the brick wall. But she was wrong- Jax felt herself glide through platforms nine and ten, and ended up on the other side- smack-dab in front of the Hogwarts Express.  
  
Tonks appeared behind her, tripping over herself.  
  
"Let's go! You want to get a good compartment, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah- compartment. Good."  
  
Jax had been enchanted by the train- and the people surrounding it. There were snaps and cracks everywhere- from people trying out their wands for the first time since they left the station at the beginning of last year. Tonks, unaware of Jax's attention focus, grabbed her cart and started to unload it.  
  
"Go and get a spot, I'll catch up."  
  
"Oh- okay."  
  
Jax started to walk in the direction of the train. She followed the few students that were loading on to the train.  
  
"Actually got here before the rush for once!" a girl with light brown hair exclaimed.  
  
"Excuse me, but does it matter which compartment you sit in?" Jax asked the girl.  
  
"No- not really. Are you a first year? You look kind of old to be one."  
  
"No- I just transferred."  
  
"That's great!"  
  
The girl held out her hand.  
  
"Angelina Johnson. Gryffindor."  
  
Jax took the girl's hand, shaking it.  
  
"Jax Pierce. I don't know what house I'm in yet."  
  
"Oh, duh! Well, if you want a place to sit, you can sit with me and my crew!"  
  
Angelina let go of Jax's hand and started down the corridor.  
  
"Thanks!" Jax called after her.  
  
"Still looking?"  
  
Jax felt Tonks grab onto her shoulder.  
  
"Kind of... I wanted to sit with Harry. But I don't know how to do that without being obvious."  
  
"Well, the train will be pretty full by the time they arrive. If you go and get an empty compartment at the back, Harry might not have a choice."  
  
"Um, ok."  
  
Jax and Tonks walked down the corridor, looking through each compartment, seeing if it was clear.  
  
"Here's one!"  
  
Jax slid open the door to a compartment at the back of the train. She sat down right next to the window, and stared out anxiously. She scanned the crowd until she saw them: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George.  
  
"Oh my gosh, they're here."  
  
Jax turned away from the window and flushed.  
  
"Calm down, Jax! You'll be fine."  
  
"Thanks, Tonks."  
  
Jax gave Tonks a weak smile.  
  
"I have to get going- before they see me. Bye, sweetie."  
  
Tonks hugged Jax, and kissed her forehead.  
  
"Be safe, okay? And try to keep this a secret for as long as you can- oh man, I might blow it if I don't get off. Bye!"  
  
"Bye, Tonks!" Jax called.  
  
Tonks gave one last wave, and disappeared. She must have appearated, Jax thought.  
  
Jax watched as the six got on to the train. Jax felt her stomach doing flips- what if Harry didn't like her? What if he thought she was ugly? What if-  
  
"Excuse me, are these seats taken?"  
  
Jax looked up, straight into her brother's eyes. Behind him was Ginny, who was trying to see around Harry. Jax's heart started racing, and she tried to get something out of her mouth, but nothing came. It was as if her brain had stopped giving off signals to her mouth. She finally gained the confidence to say something, as Harry started giving her questioning looks.  
  
"No- no. You can have them," Jax said, rather calmly.  
  
"Great! Thanks a lot. I was praying that we wouldn't have to sit with the Slytherins- I would rather stand the whole way."  
  
Harry laughed and Ginny joined in. Jax didn't, since she wasn't too familiar with house status.  
  
"Oh- sorry. Are you a Slytherin?"  
  
"Oh, no. Actually, I don't know what I am. I just transferred. I'm- um-" Jax gulped, but told herself deep down not to choke. "I'm Jax Pierce."  
  
She stuck her hand out and Harry reached over to take it. Jax felt a small spark in her when he touched her hand.  
  
"Harry Potter. Gryffindor."  
  
She took his hand and shook it, and met him with a smile.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Jax replied, smiling at her brother.  
  
"I'm Ginny Weasley," the girl sitting next to Harry commented.  
  
Jax just gave a small head nod. She hadn't looked Harry in the eyes yet, she was afraid he would recognize her. She heard someone rap on the door, and looked up.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Jax looked up to see Ron. There was a girl standing next to him- Jax guessed her to be Hermione.  
  
Harry got up and pulled the door back, allowing Ron and Hermione to come through.  
  
"Already done? We just took off five minutes ago-" Harry asked, his eyes on Ron and Hermione's prefect badges.  
  
"Nah, some fifth years wanted to do all the work, so we let them."  
  
Ron looked over to Jax.  
  
"New friend?"  
  
Harry gave a frown, wondering what he meant. Then he remembered Jax-  
  
"Oh, yeah. Um, this is Jax."  
  
Ron lifted his eyebrows, interested in the black haired girl sitting in the corner.  
  
"Ron Weasley. You new?"  
  
Ron gave Jax a cheesy grin, and held out his hand. Jax reluctantly took it, getting tired of shaking hands. She didn't smile back, though. All she had her interest on was the cute stare Harry was giving her.  
  
"Is that a yes?"  
  
"Wha- oh, yeah. I just transferred."  
  
Jax hadn't even been paying attention to what Ron had asked her.  
  
"Ahem!"  
  
Hermione, who was still standing near the front of the compartment, gave a clear of her throat. She had her arms crossed neatly at her chest, and was holding her head up in a regal way.  
  
"Oh, Jax, this is Hermione-"  
  
"-Granger."  
  
Hermione interrupted Harry in his introduction, and gave Jax a wary look.  
  
"It's a pleasure," Jax replied, in a sweet, yet meaningless tone.  
  
Jax gave Hermione a smile while Harry was looking, and as Harry turned to face Hermione, Jax turned her fake smile to a cold stare.  
  
Ron and Harry immediately sensed the bad friction between the two, and Harry gave Ron an indicating nod to get Hermione away from Jax.  
  
Ron gladly took Hermione by the shoulder and walked her out of the compartment.  
  
"I bet those fifth years have caused a load of trouble by now. Dumbledore is gonna kill us...."  
  
Harry smiled as Ron turned to lead Hermione down the corridor.  
  
"OY! Watch it!"  
  
Harry heard Ron yell as he had just escaped out of sight. Before Harry could get up to see what had happened, he found out.  
  
"Better watch it, Weasel. Your delicate mudblood there might get a bruise."  
  
Harry felt heat rising up in his face as he recalled the nasty voice of Draco Malfoy. He felt his hand shooting down into his pocket, holding his wand at a tight grasp.  
  
"Why you-"  
  
"Ron, please. Malfoy's just upset because his dear old daddy is in Azkaban. Isn't that right, Draco?" Hermione broke in tartly.  
  
"You filthy little-"  
  
Harry ran out into the corridor to find Malfoy's back facing him.  
  
"Don't make another move, Malfoy."  
  
Harry poked his wand into Malfoy's back, his mind racing for what kind of spells he could use on a train without getting noticed.  
  
"Always come to the rescue, don't you Potter?"  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Malfoy abruptly turned to face Harry, his hands held at a certain height. There was clearly no wand in either of them, so Harry cautiously let his wand hand down. And in a flash, Crabbe, who had been standing at Malfoy's side, handed his wand to him. Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry, a smug and triumphant look on his face.  
  
"Never let your guard down, Potter. It's a sign of weakness."  
  
Jax had been waiting in the compartment, listening, until now. She grabbed her wand and stepped to the front of the compartment, and peered down the corridor, trying to see what was happening.  
  
"Fine. You win, Malfoy. Just please put your wand down."  
  
"And when, in our commendable five years together, have I ever responded to 'please'?"  
  
Jax watched Malfoy take an advancing step towards Harry, his eyes gleaming.  
  
"I guess you'll be spending your first week back in the hospital wing, Potter."  
  
Jax acted without thinking, and within a flash she was stepping in front of Harry, who had been standing just a foot out of sight of the compartment.  
  
"DENS-"  
  
Malfoy only got half of his teeth-growing spell out of his mouth, for Jax was too quick.  
  
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Jax yelled, her wand pointing at Malfoy.  
  
A blue flash of light appeared out of Jax's wand, and sent Malfoy flying back several feet, his head landing right beneath Hermione's and Ron's.  
  
Several heads popped out of the compartments, every one of them staring at Jax. Jax flushed, as she turned to look to a surprised, but grateful Harry.  
  
Draco stood up with a sharp snap of his robes, and gave Jax a hateful stare. He pushed through Ron and Hermione, giving a huge 'huff', and continued to the next car.  
  
"Thanks," was the only thing that came out of anyone's mouth.  
  
But Jax wasn't disappointed, for it had come out of the most important mouth: Harry's.  
  
A/N: Review, PLEASE! I'm desperate! 


	9. Of Jealousy and Sorting Hats

A/N: Sorry this one took a while... schoolwork and such... I hate it! But here it is, and I am trying hard not to make this a mary-sue, so please just give me a little break.  
  
"BAM!"  
  
Ron thrust his hand into the air, reenacting the landing Malfoy had taken. He, Jax, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were all sitting in the compartment munching on snacks they bought from the snack cart. Jax was especially enjoying the chocolate frogs- she liked the feeling of it squirming around in her mouth. It was the first time she had ever eaten candy that moved.  
  
"Ron, you're doing it wrong. It was more of a 'wham'," Ginny corrected.  
  
Harry and Jax laughed, Ron corrected himself as he mouthed 'wham' to himself as he thrust his hand into the air again, and Hermione coldly stared at the carpet while munching on Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  
  
"Boy, that look on Malfoy's face was priceless!"  
  
Harry gave a limp imitation of Malfoy's expression, twisting his face in every direction possible. Jax and Ginny laughed, while Hermione was spitting remains of her mud-flavored bean into her hand. Ginny looked at her watch, and gasped.  
  
"Dammit! The train arrives in less than three minutes!"  
  
Ron's eyes started to bulge as he heard his younger sister cuss. He started to object, except Jax was quicker.  
  
"And why would that pose a problem?" Jax asked.  
  
"We have to get our robes on and get off the train as quickly as possible. I am certainly not sharing a carriage with any Slytherins."  
  
"I second that," Harry stated.  
  
Jax took her trunk down from the luggage rack, and the rest followed. She took one of her new robes out and stuck it on. She then closed it shut, and took Lily down from the rack.  
  
"What's her name?" Harry asked.  
  
Jax hadn't even noticed that they were now the only ones in the compartment.  
  
"Ron and Hermione had to go ahead.... And Ginny joined some of her friends," Harry replied, even though she hadn't said anything.  
  
"Oh. Her name is Lily," she said, answering his question.  
  
One of Harry's eyebrows rose.  
  
"Really? That was my mother's name."  
  
"I know... I mean, I think I read it somewhere."  
  
Jax and Harry both smiled, bumping into each other as they tried to get out of the compartment.  
  
"You first."  
  
Harry stepped back a bit and allowed Jax to lead her trunk down the corridor. It was still empty; the train hadn't come to a complete halt. The two siblings walked down the corridor; Jax catching glances of the Hogwarts students starting to emerge from their compartments. She and Harry walked off of the train, each of them shivering from the cold air.  
  
"Jeez, it's cold out here."  
  
"Come on, let's find a carriage."  
  
They walked over to where the carriages waited to take them away to the Hogwarts grounds. Harry put his luggage away and helped Jax do the same to hers. Harry picked Ron and Hermione boarding a carriage less than a couple of yards away.  
  
"Ron and Hermione are over there!" Jax tried to point out, yelling over the loud noise and bustle of the crowd.  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
Harry's attention had immediately been drawn to the thestrals that were pulling the carriages. He remembered them well, even though he wished he didn't. He felt a small brush against his robes, and looked down. Jax had fallen to the cold ground, and she had her eyes closed shut.  
  
"Jax! What's wrong?"  
  
Harry gave her a hand and picked her up.  
  
"What are those.... Things?"  
  
Harry realized that she had been shocked by the thestrals.  
  
"You mean you can see them too?" he asked, amazed that he and Loony Lovegood weren't the only ones that could see them.  
  
"Yeah, I can see them! Who couldn't?"  
  
Jax looked to her brother in bewilderment. She stared him in the eyes this time, but immediately casted them down.  
  
"Look, its damn cold out here. Let's get into a carriage," Harry suggested, eager to change the subject.  
  
Harry started off towards the carriage Hermione had gotten into. He opened the door, letting Jax in first. She got in, and sat down next to an Asian girl with long hair. Harry followed and sat down next to Hermione, immediately going red as he saw who Jax had sat next to.  
  
"Hey, Harry," Cho Chang said politely.  
  
"H-Hi," Harry slightly stuttered.  
  
He shifted as he noticed Michael Corner's arm around Cho, the other hand holding hers.  
  
"How was your sum-"  
  
Harry saw Ron shake his head slightly at Cho, giving her the indication not to go there. He grew red again, and looked at Jax, who was staring out the carriage window. She gave a small gasp as she saw the castle.  
  
"Bloody Hell!" Jax exclaimed.  
  
Ron gave a small huff, angered that she had used his expression. The rest of the carriage stared at Jax, who was smiling in excitement.  
  
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked tartly.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Just got a bit excited," Jax apologized as she, too, grew a bit red.  
  
"Are you new?" Cho asked, being quite thick at some times.  
  
"Oh... yeah."  
  
Jax turned around to Cho, and held out her hand, quite used to the routine by now.  
  
"Jax Pierce... I haven't a house yet."  
  
Jax answered her question before it even got out of Cho's mouth.  
  
"Uh, Cho Chang... Ravenclaw," she then pointed to Michael, "And this is my boyfriend, Michael Corner, also Ravenclaw."  
  
Jax gave a small nod to Michael, seeing the glare he was giving Harry out of the corner of his eye.  
  
They all shifted forward, or backward if you were sitting in Harry's position, as the carriage came to a halt. They all piled out onto the stone steps leading up to the front oak doors, merging with the hundreds of other eager students. Harry grabbed Jax's arm, giving her a reassuring smile that he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Hermione and Ron got out next, Hermione glaring Harry's hand on Jax's arm.  
  
"So... onto the Great Hall?" Harry asked the other three.  
  
He was met by nods all around, and led Jax up the steps; Ron and Hermione following in their wake.  
  
They all climbed the front stairway, all greeting the old paintings.  
  
"G'day! G'day!" one painting with a young swordsman in it yelled.  
  
"So nice to see you dears," another one with an old witch in it softly greeted.  
  
"These things are awesome!" Jax exclaimed, just noticing that Harry's hand was still gripping her forearm.  
  
"Um, Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I think I can find my way from here," Jax said, as they arrived just outside of the Great Hall.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Harry yet again turned a bright shade of red.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry continued into the Great Hall. Jax began to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Professor McGonagall.  
  
"I see you've made a nice acquaintance," she gave a tight smile to Jax.  
  
"He's wonderful!" Jax said.  
  
"Well, you still need to be sorted. Go join the first years over there."  
  
McGonagall pointed to a group of short, stubby, little witches and wizards on the flight landing. Jax walked over, feeling more stupid than she had in a long time, towering over them at least five inches a piece. She crossed her arms, leaned against the rail, and gave a little huff. She grew so bored that she began to catch bits and pieces of their conversations.  
  
"I heard that if you can't defeat a fully-grown troll, you're sent home straight away!" a blonde, skinny girl exclaimed.  
  
"Where'd ya hear that?" a taller, dark-skinned boy asked.  
  
"My brother, o' course! He knows everything!"  
  
Jax chuckled, feeling sorry for the small ones.  
  
"Did ya know that Harry Potter went here? I'm getting his autograph and sending it to my cousin Mabel as proof!" a fairly short, red-haired girl said.  
  
"Well I'm gonna get him to sign my broom! He's the best seeker in years, you know," a brown haired girl replied.  
  
"That's nothing! He's gonna sign my wand!" the blonde girl from earlier butted in.  
  
"How are you gonna get him to do that?" the brown haired girl asked.  
  
"Well, once I get into Gryffindor, which I know I will, it'll be easy!"  
  
"My dad works for the ministry, so I already have loads of things he's signed," the dark-skinned boy joined in.  
  
"Seriously? Can I see?" the red-haired girl anxiously asked.  
  
"Sure! I-"  
  
"Quiet, everyone!" McGonagall interrupted several conversations. "The Sorting Hat awaits."  
  
She beckoned the group to follow, and they all followed. Jax felt herself grow hot as all eyes turned on her; being the oddball in the group. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the floor, letting the kids lead the way.  
  
She almost ran into a plump, little Asian girl before she realized the group had come to a halt. The chatting that rang throughout the Hall came to a stop also, each pair of eyes landing on McGonagall, who had finished adjusting her glasses and was holding a long piece of parchment in front of her. She gave a small nod to the Sorting Hat, who started in his song.  
  
Jax didn't pay much attention to it; she was too busy glancing to and from different people. Draco Malfoy was giving her a right cold stare, Cho Chang gave her the occasional assuring smile, and Harry was just staring at her with a goofy grin. The students weren't the only ones, though. Lupin gave her a thumbs up; Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling at her; Snape giving her a stare that even topped Malfoy's.  
  
"The sorting will now begin!"  
  
There was a sudden chatter between the first years, each giving each other a frightened glance.  
  
"Adler, Nicholas!"  
  
The tall, dark-skinned boy stepped up to the stool. His eyes rolled to the top of his head as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. After a few seconds, the Sorting Hat's voice rang throughout the Hall:  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
There was a small uprise of clapping and whistling from the Hufflepuff table, and Nicholas took his seat at the end of the table.  
  
"Birnbaum, Clarissa!"  
  
The blonde, Gryffindor hopeful stepped up to the stool. She had a smug look to her face, very confident to where she was going to be placed. As soon as McGonagall placed the hat on her head, the Sorting Hat called:  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
The girl scowled and mouthed a small 'what!' as she stepped down from the stool and heaved herself over to the Ravenclaw table.  
  
The process continued; each of the first years being called. Jax had been skipped, so she assumed that her humiliation was being saved for last.  
  
"Zipper, Odette!"  
  
The red-haired girl was the last of the first years to be sorted. The Sorting Hat quickly called out:  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
She gave a smile and skipped over to the table, and joined the rest of the Hufflepuff first years. Jax's stomach had begun to churn once again, her palms sweating and her heart beating fast.  
  
"Pierce, Jax!" McGonagall rang.  
  
She stepped climbed the steps and sat down onto the stool, taking a deep breath. She looked at Harry, who was smiling rather largely at Jax, much to Hermione's dismay. McGonagall placed the hat onto Jax's head, her own hand quaking a bit.  
  
'Ah, yes. The other Potter. I was wondering if I would ever see you.'  
  
Jax slightly jumped as the Sorting Hat's voice started to ring in her ears.  
  
'Your brother was rather hard to place, you see. So we'll give a little look... Oh, a wonderful mind you have here. Already reason to place you in Ravenclaw. But... no. Hufflepuff is ruled out... here we are again. Back to the same problem your brother posed.... But I suppose Slytherin isn't your first choice, hmm?'  
  
'No! Certainly not!' Jax exclaimed, confined to her thoughts.  
  
'Slytherin would definitely do wonders for you... I've always wondered what would have happened if I had placed him there... but, of course, there was that incident back in his second year...'  
  
'Please, put me into Gryffindor! Not Slytherin!' she pleaded, repeating her brother's exact words.  
  
'Alright, then... if you wish.'  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Jax gave a sigh of relief, as she stepped down from the stool. Harry and Ron had gotten up from their seats and started to clap. Lupin and Dumbledore had begun to do the same, and McGonagall was clapping rather hard. Jax trotted over to the Gryffindor table, smiling.  
  
"Congratulations!" Harry exclaimed, as Dumbledore stated the beginning-of- term announcements.  
  
"Yeah, I would say Gryffindor is the best house to be in," Ron said, as food appeared in front of them.  
  
"Slytherin... well, by Malfoy's impression you should be able to gather what a joy they are..." Ron said, as he buttered a roll.  
  
"Hufflepuffs are just too plain friendly..." Harry stated.  
  
"And Ravenclaws are really smart, so they're always getting points for knowing stuff in classes."  
  
Jax was still smiling, happy that she had gotten into Gryffindor. But that wasn't the only thing she was happy about- she looked over to the seat next to her, where her brother was sitting, and smiled even more.  
  
A/N: Review, Please!! 


	10. There's Something About Jax

A/N: Sorry for not updating... I've had a lot to do lately. So here's the next one!  
  
Ron and Hermione had just finished their dinners. Harry had offered to show Jax around the common room, etc., so they got up and left a bit early from dessert.  
  
"So what do you think of Jax, Mione?" Ron asked Hermione, just as he was finishing up a bowl of orange sherbet.  
  
Hermione carefully peered up from the book she had been reading (Goblins and Gears: The Inventions of the Goblins). She quickly looked back down to the book and took a sip of hot chocolate from her mug.  
  
"Come on, Hermione. Spill it," Ron egged.  
  
Hermione's hot chocolate actually did spill a bit off the top as she nervously put her mug down. Then she cautiously marked her book spot and put it down, folding her hands in her lap.  
  
"I think she's quite... c-chipper," Hermione said in a sing-song voice.  
  
"Chipper?" Ron questioned, his eyebrow slightly raised.  
  
"Yes... she's very energetic... and Harry s-s-seems to l-l-like her," Hermione said in a gulp, trying to get it all out.  
  
Ron snorted as the food in front of them disappeared. He got up from the bench and beckoned Neville to follow. Hermione got up and ran up to Ron.  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked.  
  
"'Yes, she's very energetic and chipper!'" Ron imitated, his voice high pitched.  
  
"I don't appreciate that, Ron Weasley!" Hermione retorted, her robes making a rustle noise as she tried to keep up with Ron.  
  
"'I don't appreciate that, Ron Weasley!'" Ron repeated, knowing exactly how to get on Hermione's last nerve.  
  
"Why don't you just SHUT UP?" Hermione shouted, making various heads turn in her direction.  
  
She didn't notice, though. She had her back turned and was heading straight for the Gryffindor Common Room. She knew that if she had stayed in the Great Hall any longer, she would have started to cry. She started up the stairs, trying to pick up her pace. She didn't want anybody following her.  
  
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked as Hermione arrived in front of the common room.  
  
"Phoenix ash," Hermione muttered.  
  
The door swung open and Hermione stepped through it, heading straight for her room. But before she could even reach the last step, she heard the portrait swing open again. Sure enough, she could hear Jax giggling at the bottom of the steps, Harry in her wake.  
  
"That really happened? Wow, your Defense against the Dark Arts teacher must be a wacko," Jax said even though she knew Lupin was the new DADA professor.  
  
"He's not here anymore- Lockhart was too dim-witted to keep up with us," said Harry with a laugh. "But anyways, your room is upstairs. Up that staircase."  
  
Harry pointed to the staircase Hermione was standing on.  
  
"Thanks for the tour, Harry. I'll see you in the morning?" Jax asked, although almost positive what the answer was.  
  
"Definitely," Harry said with a smile.  
  
Jax gave Harry a small wave and continued up the steps, as Hermione scooted as fast as she could toward her dorm room. She quietly shut it, praying Jax didn't see her. She stepped over to her trunk and started unpacking the things the house elves hadn't. But then she heard the door knob start to rattle, and through it came Jax.  
  
"Hey Hermione!" Jax exclaimed, as she looked around the room.  
  
"H-Hi," Hermione said, questioningly.  
  
"Oh, you must be wondering why I'm in your room! We, that is Harry and I, ran into McGonagall while he was showing me around- and she told me that she had instructed the house elves to put my stuff in your room. And I saw you come in here, so I guessed this is your room!" Jax said, basically all in one breath.  
  
Hermione just stared blankly at Jax, angry and surprised. How could McGonagall betray her like that?  
  
"Uh... right. I guess you should unpack your things," Hermione suggested, still in shock.  
  
"Okay! Which one is mine...?" Jax asked as she looked around the room.  
  
"This one is mine... that one is Parvati's... and that one is Lavender's... you can have that one," Hermione pointed to a bed in the corner.  
  
Jax lugged her suitcase over to the corner four-post, opening it. She found that her robes had been plastered with the Gryffindor seal already, and her ties were in there also. She placed her clothes in the dresser next to her bed and organized her makeup on top of it. She took her wand and glasses out and stuck them next to the bed, and went to take out her contacts. When she returned Hermione was in bed reading, along with Parvati and Lavender in their own beds. Hermione looked up, and motioned to Parvati and Lavender.  
  
"Jax, this is Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown," Hermione introduced.  
  
The two girls gave inclines of their heads and smiled. Jax smiled back and got into her bed. She buried herself into the covers, falling fast asleep. But Hermione did not- there was something about Jax, though she couldn't put her finger on it.  
  
A/N: Review, Please!! 


	11. Siblingdom

A/N: I don't have much to say about his chapter- only that I hope you like it. (  
  
Jax woke up to the sun shining in her face. She raised a hand to her head, trying to cover her eyes from the rays. She put her glasses on, and she crossed over to put on her contacts. Her stomach was flipping again- today was her first day of school. Clarify: wizarding school.  
  
She looked at the worn clock on the wall. It was early. Early enough to make her self look presentable. She did her regular hair routine, flaring the ends of her hair and straightening her bangs, carefully covering her scar. She took her lip liner and carefully colored in her lips, making them a light-colored red. She added mascara and eye liner, and covered up a pimple forming on her nose. She stepped back, and looked into the mirror. She looked good.  
  
Jax walked back into the dorm, seeing that Lavender had begun to stir.  
  
"Morning," Jax whispered.  
  
"G'morning," Lavender politely replied. She got out of bed and stepped over the bathroom, closing the door.  
  
Jax pulled a gray uniform skirt and vest out, and laid them on her bed. She also pulled out her button-down shirt and tie. She put on the shirt first and then the skirt, and smoothed them out. She attempted to do her tie- but was horribly unsuccessful. She decided to do that last.  
  
Then came her shoes and socks, and she pulled out a robe. Lavender emerged from the bathroom, still purple circles under her eyes.  
  
"Do you want something to cover those up?" Jax asked, motioning towards Lavender's eyes.  
  
"Yeah! You have something?" Lavender asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Will you two be quieter! It's too bloody early!" Parvati exclaimed, rolling to the other side of her bed.  
  
"Sorry," the two apologized simultaneously.  
  
"Come on," Jax urged, taking Lavender's arm.  
  
Jax got out the cover up and rubbed some under Lavender's eyes. She then took blush and ran a bit over the cover up. She handed Lavender a mirror.  
  
"Merlin! How the hell did you do that?"  
  
"You've never used cover up?" Jax asked, caught off guard.  
  
"No. I don't get much exposure to Muggle things. Thanks so much; I really didn't get much sleep last night."  
  
"It's not a problem," Jax smiled. "But I need some help- I'm not very experienced with ties."  
  
"Oh, sure."  
  
Lavender crossed to Jax's bed and took the tie off of her bed. She then walked back over to Jax, and twisted the tie around her neck. Then she tied it in a frenzy, and finally straightened it out.  
  
"Perfect," she smiled, admiring her work.  
  
"Thanks," Jax smiled back, and then she left Lavender to the bathroom.  
  
Jax put on her vest and finally draped her robes over herself. She took her wand off of the nightstand, and waved goodbye to Lavender, just as Hermione and Parvati began to rouse.  
  
Jax walked down the cascading staircase, ending up in the common room and staring the back of her brother's head in the face.  
  
"A-hem!" Jax made Harry aware of her presence.  
  
Harry did a double-take as he turned around, seeing Jax in her own glowing radiance. She looked really good- better than most of the Gryffindor girls in their school robes. Including Hermione.  
  
"H-hey," Harry said softly, still staring.  
  
"I didn't expect you up this early," Jax stated.  
  
"Yeah, well I usually don't sleep the night before school starts. There were essays to be taken care of," Harry explained, making Jax giggle.  
  
"Come on, let's get some breakfast. I'm so starved."  
  
"Same here. Now that I look back, skipping dessert last night wasn't too bright," Harry said, getting up from his chair.  
  
Jax laughed.  
  
"Maybe so, Harry," she smiled.  
  
The two siblings walked out of the common room, smiling. They passed various students also on their way to the Great Hall, most of them with purple circles that matched Lavender's and hands covering their mouths as they yawned. Others were very much alive and awake, some dueling with simple spells against each other, some catching up with their buddies from the previous year, and some arm in arm with their significant other. One of them was Draco Malfoy, with his hand over Pansy Parkinson's butt.  
  
"Not setting a very good example, are you Malfoy? I thought prefects were supposed to be model students," Harry called.  
  
"At least I have an example to set, Potter. I don't see anybody on your arm," Malfoy retorted.  
  
Harry immediately acted on his reflexes and grabbed Jax's arm and linked it with his own.  
  
"Now you do, don't you?" Harry shot back.  
  
Malfoy glared, and just continued to the Great Hall, beginning to suck the face off of Pansy. Jax instantly jerked her arm away from Harry's, scowling.  
  
"Who said you could do that? I'm not your property!" Jax exclaimed, and ran off to the Great Hall by herself.  
  
There weren't many people in the Hall yet, only around twenty by observation. She walked over to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat by herself. There were two first-years chatting excitedly about the first day of school, and a group of fifth-year girls were hovering over their class schedule, whining about the double potions with the Slytherins they had to endure as their first class of the year.  
  
Jax selected a biscuit and jam for starters. She was spreading the jam over the biscuit when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder.  
  
"So how was the first night?" Lupin asked, taking a seat next to her.  
  
"Night was fine... morning sucked," she said as she took a huge bite, making the bread look like a crescent moon.  
  
"How so?" Lupin asked, concerned.  
  
"Morning, professor."  
  
Harry had entered the Great Hall unnoticed by Jax or Lupin. Lupin rose from his seat and offered it to Harry. Harry looked a bit confused, wondering why Lupin would be talking to Jax. But he brushed it off and took the seat, Jax scooting another seat down, making a significant distance between her and Harry.  
  
"G'morning, Harry," Lupin said, his attention turning to the space between the siblings.  
  
Lupin decided it was better if he left the two alone, so he continued onto the table in front of the Hall, taking a seat in between a quarreling pair of professors Flitwick and Sprout.  
  
Harry scooted over, filling the empty space between him and Jax. Jax scooted down another seat, and Harry filled the next one. This continued until the two ran into the first years at the very end of the table.  
  
"Dammit, Harry! Just leave me alone!" Jax yelled, her voice ringing throughout the Great Hall.  
  
Every head turned, and there were more than there were when Harry had come in. Jax stood up and stomped out of the Hall, bumping into the last person she needed to see: Snape.  
  
"Watch it, Potter," he hissed.  
  
"It's Pierce, Snivellus," she hissed back, remembering that Ron had called Snape that once when they were talking one night.  
  
"Don't you EVER call me that, Raye Lillian Potter!" he yelled in a whisper, scolding her with a finger to her face.  
  
Jax just stared at him with wide eyes, unaware that Dumbledore was standing behind Snape.  
  
"Severus, may I have a word with you?" Dumbledore asked politely.  
  
Snape turned around slowly, lowering his finger as his own eyes began to grow wide.  
  
"Uh... of course, professor," Snape said cautiously, Jax smiling smugly.  
  
"Jax... go back to breakfast. You need food in order to survive, you know," Dumbledore said.  
  
Jax smiled, completely forgetting about Harry.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Jax turned on her heel and went back into the Hall, taking no notice to the stares she was attracting. She sat down next to Lavender and Parvati, and took a piece of bacon.  
  
"Morning, Jax," Parvati smiled. She seemed to be cured of the grumpiness that she had earlier that morning.  
  
Jax started to chew on the piece of bacon when a figure appeared at her right. She looked behind, staring her brother's pathetic face right in front of her. She started to get up and run out again, when Harry caught her by the shoulder.  
  
"Look, Jax, I'm sorry. Malfoy and I just have this ongoing rivalry... and I used you to get back at him. I'm sorry."  
  
Jax stared at him. She could be nice, and say that it was fine and she understood. But she decided against it. She'd never had a sibling, and now that she did, she decided that she could use it to her own will.  
  
"Whatever, Harry. I don't exactly care," she replied coldly. Inside, she grinned in an evil way. She could tell this was going to be fun.  
  
She took off down the Hall again, this time making sure someone was in front of her so she wouldn't be noticed by Dumbledore, who was scolding Snape nearby the entryway.  
  
She pulled out a slip of paper containing her classes. It read:  
  
Double Herbology- Gryffindor/Hufflepuff Potions- Gryffindor/Slytherin Care of Magical Creatures- Gryffindor/Slytherin Charms- Gryffindor/Ravenclaw  
  
Jax gave a small huff. Two out of four classes with Slytherins?? This might be harder than she thought. She trudged over to the greenhouses, her boots getting slightly damp.  
  
A/N: Please, Review!! 


	12. Special

A/N: I'm just doing a lot of updating today! lol, okay... next chapter...  
  
Harry felt a slap in his face as he just stood there, stunned. Jax had just blown him off. She was gone. Where did she go?  
  
"Harry! Come back to earth!" Lavender yelled. Harry hadn't moved for five minutes. She wasn't even sure if he was breathing.  
  
"Wha- huh?" Harry looked around. He was still in the Great Hall, standing behind Jax's seat at the Gryffindor table. Several people, including Ron, Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender stood around him.  
  
"You idiot! She was just starting to like you!" Ron scolded.  
  
"Wait- what happened?" Harry asked, truly clueless.  
  
"What happened?" Ron repeated, amazed. "If Malfoy wasn't lying to us, which, I will admit, is a huge possibility, you used her to get back at him! What the hell was going through your bloody mind?"  
  
"Oh my- where'd she go?" Harry asked, Ron bringing him back to a right state of mind as he shook Harry.  
  
"Our next class is Herbology- that would be my best guess," Parvati offered.  
  
"Well, let's go!" Harry exclaimed, yet his feet didn't move. He continued to stay where he was standing.  
  
"Come on, Harry. Your feet are meant to move!" Lavender said, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him out of the almost empty Hall.  
  
"Right." Harry followed Lavender's lead, Ron, Parvati, and an irritated Hermione in their wake.  
  
Jax was surprised to find that she wasn't the first one in the greenhouse- Neville Longbottom was sitting at one of the tables, fidgeting with a plant. She pushed open the door a bit more, and sat down next to Neville. She took her book bag off of her shoulder.  
  
"Hi, Neville," Jax greeted.  
  
Neville was so shocked at Jax's voice that he accidentally knocked the plant off the table, the pot splattering into hundreds of different pieces.  
  
"Oh- oh Neville, I'm so sorry! Let me he-" Jax started to bend down, but he held a hand out for her to stop.  
  
"No- It's fine. I don't need any help," he said coldly.  
  
"Okay," Jax said softly, letting out a deep breath of air.  
  
Several students began to create a commotion at the door, yelling to old friends, being friendly. It was, of course, Hufflepuff. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were chatting merrily about the first day back, and Seamus Finnigan and Justin Flinch-Fletchley were having a merry time teasing the two by poking them in the back.  
  
They all seated themselves around each other, taking seats next to their best friends. Jax's luck, nobody sat next to her. She, of course, didn't have a best friend at Hogwarts. All she had was a brother who didn't know they were related, his best friend who hated her guts, and Lavender.  
  
'Impressive,' Jax thought to herself.  
  
She saw the door open again, and through it came Professor Sprout. She had rosy cheeks and a crazy hat on her head, yet she was looked very cheerful and upbeat by the look of her step.  
  
"Good morning, students!" Professor Sprout greeted.  
  
"Good morning, Professor Sprout," rang the class.  
  
"Welcome back! I'm so glad to have you all here for my NEWTS course!" she exclaimed, and then she walked up to a small podium at the front of the class.  
  
She began to open her mouth, when the door burst open, and through it came Lavender first, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and finally Parvati behind her in that order.  
  
"So glad you finally joined us, Miss Brown... Mr. Potter... Mr. Weasley... Miss Granger... Miss Patil..."  
  
"So sorry, Professor. We-" Hermione, being the responsible one, began to explain, but Professor Sprout interrupted her.  
  
"No need for explanations, Miss Granger. With this being your first class of the marking period, I won't give any demerits..."  
  
Hermione smiled her 'teacher's pet' trademark smile, grabbed Ron's arm, and took the last two seats in the very front. Ron started to reject, but when she turned around and scowled at him, implying that it was his entire fault, he shut up quickly.  
  
Lavender and Parvati took two seats that Hannah Abbott had been saving for them in the middle of the throng. Harry scanned over the crowd, and to his joy, the last seat was right next to Jax. He briskly walked over and took it, making Jax scowl. She began to turn away from him, when she noticed that Professor Sprout had just seen her, and was staring at Jax with wide eyes.  
  
"Merlin! Miss Po-" Professor Sprout began, but stopped at the very moment when Jax gave her a pleading look.  
  
"It's Pierce, Professor. Jax Pierce," Jax corrected.  
  
"Of course! It's wonderful to have you in my class, Miss Pierce," Professor Sprout gulped.  
  
Harry looked at Jax, and then to Professor Sprout in confusion. As Jax let her head wander around the classroom, she realized that he wasn't the only one confused. There were several heads turning back and forth from Jax and Professor Sprout.  
  
"Okay, class, today we will be learning about the Pollywart Fern..."  
  
Jax let out a sigh of relief as Professor Sprout quickly dismissed the subject. She reached into her bag and took out parchment and a quill. She placed her wand into the bag, and laid out her supplies on the desk. She started to take notes, hunched over her paper, quickly writing out the words that were coming out of Professor Sprout's mouth. Harry seemed to be doing the same, but when Jax looked over to his paper, there was nothing on it but three words:  
  
I-am-SORRY  
  
Jax sighed again, and decided to give up on her little shenanigan. It didn't really matter anymore. She replied on her own paper:  
  
Okay  
  
That's it? Just an 'okay'?  
  
Yep  
  
Right. So... what was with Sprout before?  
  
I don't know. She was just saying hi.  
  
Not really... she kinda freaked out.  
  
I don't get what you're trying to say.  
  
Never mind.  
  
"Alright... now that I have explained the principle healing points of the Pollywart, I want you to pair up with a partner and extract some of its fluid... stick it in a vial... and then you are dismissed," Professor Sprout announced.  
  
"Partner?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah," Jax smiled.  
  
The two worked for the rest of the doubles trying to get the fern to extract its blue fluid. The trick was, you had to tickle it in the right spot, and then out of one of its leafs came the fluid. But the problem was, you never knew which leaf it would come out of.  
  
"Finally!" Harry exclaimed, when they finally had retrieved five drops; enough to fill the bottle.  
  
"Yeah! That sure took long enough..." Jax took the vial from his hand and placed it in the rack. She took a piece of tape that lay next to the rack, and wrote their names on it. It read:  
  
Potter/Pierce  
  
Jax knew what it should really be, but she decided against writing it on there.  
  
"You can if you want to," Professor Sprout whispered in Jax's ear.  
  
Jax smiled, and crossed out the 'Pierce' and wrote something different. It now read:  
  
Potter/Potter  
  
"Looks good," Professor Sprout smiled.  
  
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Jax said.  
  
They both smiled, and then Jax took her seat next to Harry again.  
  
"What took you so long? Almost half the class is gone by now," Harry half- scolded.  
  
"Have you looked at your schedule lately?" Jax asked.  
  
Harry took his class schedule out of his pocket.  
  
"Damn... maybe we should have taken longer."  
  
Jax laughed, and pulled him up from his seat.  
  
"Let's go," she said.  
  
They both smiled, and continued out. Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione were still struggling with the plant, and he laughed a bit at them.  
  
"Shut up, Harry," Ron said.  
  
Jax and Harry laughed, and walked out of the classroom. Lavender and Parvati were waving Jax over, so she excused herself from Harry and ran up to them. Harry smiled at her as he walked across the grounds to the main building, when he heard Hermione and Ron behind him.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Harry turned, and saw Ron carrying one of the vials from the greenhouse.  
  
"What are you doing with that?" Harry asked, as he walked backwards.  
  
"It's yours. I know we shouldn't have taken it- but you need to see something," Hermione explained.  
  
Harry's brow furrowed, and he began to say something about them taking his work, but Ron shoved the vial in his face.  
  
"What the-" Harry gasped, when he saw the Potter/Potter label on the vial.  
  
"I think she fancies you, Harry," Ron said, giving Harry a little nudge.  
  
Harry was grinning broadly, with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Ron, maybe you should go put Jax and Harry's work back," Hermione told Ron.  
  
"Whoa," Harry said when Ron had turned and he and Hermione were walking.  
  
"Harry, I- how do I say this? I- I don't think that Jax fancying you has anything to do with that label," Hermione said, stuttering at some points.  
  
"What do you mean, 'Moine?" Harry asked, confused again.  
  
"Have- Have you noticed how special all of the teachers having been treating Jax?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but that's just because she's new," Harry said.  
  
"I don't know, Harry. Seriously, I think there's more to her than we know."  
  
"Hermione, stop being so jealous," Harry shot.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked, bemused.  
  
"Jax likes me, I like Jax, and you're jealous. I can tell," Harry snapped, and quickened his pace.  
  
Hermione stood there, books in hand, and watched Harry continue down the lawn. A tear almost rolled down her cheek, when Ron put his hand on her shoulder, and they walked to Potions together.  
  
'Potions with Slytherins,' Harry thought. 'Just what I need.'  
  
A/N: Okay, long one! REVIEW!!!!!!! Reviews=more chapters. 


	13. Flying Follies

A/N: Sorry for the delay... but I made it long for you guys. And I hope I haven't grossed you out completely, I just like a little twist to the plot. So... here goes next chapter!  
  
Jax smiled, her hand racing across a piece of parchment. She had spent most of her spare time throughout the past couple of weeks writing letters to different people: Her mother and father, of course, who had been delighted to receive news so quickly. Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, and Jax had been writing back and forth to each other constantly also. Tonks' letters were always filled with exciting adventures that she had been on most recently. Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, always wrote very lovingly, with advice and the occasional muggle question from Mr. Weasley.  
  
Jax's life had adjusted very well to the lifestyles of Hogwarts in the past three weeks. Lavender and Parvati were her new best friends, and she still kept very close with Harry. Ron was also very sweet to her, but Hermione seemed to have a grudge with Jax that she would not resolve.  
  
The classes were also a part Jax enjoyed very much. Unlike muggle school, wizarding education required a lot of hands-on learning. Except for History of Magic. Now that was a boring class. Defense Against the Dark Arts was definitely her favorite class. Lupin was so nice to her, and when they didn't have doubles, he gave her extra time to work after class.  
  
"Jax? Do you want to go do something with me and Parvati?" Jax heard Lavender ask as she poked her head through the door.  
  
It was Saturday on a particularly beautiful September day, and Jax was sitting on her butt in her room.  
  
"Like what?" Jax asked as she swiveled around in her chair.  
  
"Some of the guys are going to go practice Quidditch. We were thinking we could go watch."  
  
Jax's heart skipped a small beat. She loved Quidditch so much, and she had been so busy, she hadn't the time to get on her broom lately.  
  
"Do you think they'd let me play?" Jax asked hopefully.  
  
"I don't see why not," Lavender replied.  
  
"Okay. I'm in," Jax smiled and unlocked her trunk at the foot of her bed, pulling out her Nimbus.  
  
"Nice broom," Lavender complimented, exiting the room with Jax following.  
  
As Lavender and Jax walked down the staircases, Jax noticed a huge throng of Gryffindor students near the bulletin board.  
  
"What's up with that?" Jax pointed to the group.  
  
"I don't know... let's look," Lavender suggested.  
  
Jax spotted Ron's messy red hair at the back. She poked him in the back and waited for him to turn around.  
  
"Wha- huh?" Ron stuttered as her turned around.  
  
"What's the big deal about?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Hogsmeade! We get to go extra early this year..." Ron said, a big smile on his face.  
  
"Awesome!" Lavender said with enthusiasm. "I've been saving up all summer to spend over there!"  
  
Jax didn't get as excited as everyone else. Hogsmeade-Schmogsmeade. She wanted to play Quidditch.  
  
"Cool... are we going or not?" Jax asked, a bit impatient.  
  
"Duh! I'm going, at least," Lavender exclaimed.  
  
"I meant to the Quidditch field," Jax said.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Lavender said. "Ron, are you coming with us? Where's Harry?"  
  
"Harry's here," replied his voice from behind the two girls.  
  
Jax smiled, and look at the Firebolt he was clutching in his hands. She felt a small jealousy overtake her body for a second, and then it stopped.  
  
"Come on, we can sign up later," Harry suggested.  
  
The others nodded, and they continued out onto the Quidditch field, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and some others joining them along the way.  
  
"When does the regular Quidditch start up again, Harry?" Dean asked him.  
  
"How the hell would I know? We don't even have a bloody captain anymore," Harry replied.  
  
"Yeah... who is the new captain? Wasn't Angelina supposed to pick out one before she left?" Seamus joined.  
  
Jax remembered the name Angelina for a second... she was the girl on the train! Could they be possibly talking about the same one?  
  
"Are you talking about Angelina Johnson?" Jax asked, a bit wary.  
  
"Uh... yeah. How'd you know, Jax?" Harry asked, taken aback a bit.  
  
"Well... she still goes here, doesn't she?"  
  
"No... she left last year, didn't she guys?" Harry looked around the small group. There were nods from all around.  
  
"But... she introduced herself to me on the train. And she left with us on the Express," Jax asked, officially confused.  
  
Nobody answered her though, because the group finally had reached the Quidditch field. Harry looked around, breathing in the air. He felt at home once again, seeing the field for the first time in months.  
  
"Was wondering if I'd find you out here, Potter," came a voice from behind them. And sure enough, as they all turned to see who had joined them, was Angelina Johnson.  
  
"What the hell..."  
  
"You're supposed to be gone!"  
  
"Told you guys."  
  
Various comments came from the group, when a sly smile appeared on Angelina's face.  
  
"Angelina, what are you doing here? You were supposed to graduate.." Harry started, but Angelina cut him off.  
  
"Last year. I know. But my NEWTS weren't as good as I had hoped, and Dumbledore gave me a reprieve, since Umbridge screwed up so much for me as Quidditch captain. I'm taking most of my classes over, and also training to be a professor," she boasted, very proud of herself.  
  
"Professor Johnson... how sweet," Dean commented, making Seamus snort.  
  
"Shut up Thomas, or you'll have another thing coming," Angelina shot him a cold look.  
  
"So, does that mean you're our Quidditch captain again?" Harry asked, a bit dismayed. He had hoped to be elected captain that year.  
  
"Yessir... I just came out to see how badly out of shape you all are. Including you, Weasley," Angelina addressed Ron, making him blush profusely.  
  
Harry smiled, took the box of the balls from her hands, let loose the bludgers, and handed two beater sticks to Seamus and Dean. He handed the quaffle to a stout fifth year that had joined them in the hall, and then mounted him broom, snitch in hand.  
  
"Alright... I'm seeker... Dean and Seamus are beaters... Angelina... keeper?" Angelina nodded. "Okay, the rest of you spread out into the empty spots. Hey Jax! You playing?" Harry noticed a glum Jax walking off the field.  
  
Jax turned, shook her head, and continued off of the field. She had wanted to play seeker. As soon as her back was turned again, she heard the 'woosh' of the brooms lifting off the ground; except Harry's turned up right beside her.  
  
"Hey... what's the matter?" Harry asked in a caring tone.  
  
"Oh, nothing. I'm just not a very good player." Jax lied. She was quite good, actually.  
  
"Bull. I bet you're fantastic. What position did you use to play?"  
  
There was a silence for a second, but finally Jax lifted her eyes off the green grass, and looked at him in the eye.  
  
"Seeker," she said quietly.  
  
"Great! I could use some competition," he said, knowing that he was the best seeker around in years. "Come on, we could play our own little game. The rest probably wouldn't even notice."  
  
"Fine. But don't whine when I beat you, 'K?" she joked.  
  
"You're going down, Pierce," he teased.  
  
She laughed, and mounted her broom, and whisked herself into the air.  
  
"Are you going to let it go, then?" she asked, motioning towards the snitch clutched in his hand, which was fighting very hard to be released into the air.  
  
"Oh- right."  
  
Harry opened his hand, and the ball went zipping through the air, disappearing. He rose into the air himself, launching into the game play that was already taking place. The two sat in there for a while, keeping a sharp eye out. They avoided the several bludgers coming their way, except the one that nicked the side of Harry's shoe. And finally, after at least twenty minutes, Jax spotted it right by Seamus' foot.  
  
She kicked into high-gear, zipping right past Harry, making his unruly hair even messier. He smiled as he saw where the snitch was, and bolted into speed. Jax and he moved like one, dodging the brooms and balls fleeting toward them with perfect sharpness. The snitch started to move away, and the sibling rivalry started to kick in. A gleam appeared in both siblings' eyes, even though Harry had no clue why he had such a sudden urge to beat Jax.  
  
The two started to gain such speed; they looked like a big mess of color zipping in and out of every where. One by one, the players above them started to notice. They all stopped playing at some point, and watched. They were especially amazed at Jax, being able to keep up with Harry.  
  
Harry lost the snitch for a moment; so caught up in the competition that he lost track of it. But Jax hadn't lost it, and a split second later, she was whooping for joy as it was clutched in her hand. She smugly smiled at Harry, as the rest of the players came over to congratulate her, making a little circle around Jax, excluding Harry to the outside.  
  
"Wow. I've never seen anything like that!"  
  
"You should definitely consider being on the team."  
  
Harry caught bits of the compliments she was getting, and as he heard them, his spirit disintegrated piece by piece. All of a sudden, he didn't feel like playing anymore. Harry lowered himself onto the grass below, and walked off the field, his head hung in shame. How could he let himself be beat by a... girl?  
  
Ron noticed Harry as he was almost off the field. Ron quickly flew over to his side.  
  
"Hey, mate! Wasn't that bad... you're just a bit rusty, that's all!" Ron attempted to cheer him.  
  
"No... it's not Jax. I just have a lot of work to do," Harry replied glumly.  
  
"Work?" Ron snorted a bit. "Since when do you work on a Saturday?"  
  
"Since... now!" Harry shot, and quickened his pace off the field, leaving Ron hovering two feet above the air.  
  
"Ron!" Ron turned as he heard Angelina call his name. He rose into the air again and met her.  
  
"Where's Harry gone to?" she asked.  
  
"Some bull about homework," Ron replied, still in disbelief.  
  
"Ahh... right, then. We'll just use Jax as a seeker," Angelina found a quick solution.  
  
Ron nodded, and took his place. Jax hovered slowly below the rest, again keeping a sharp eye out. She was a bit over-confident now, even she had to admit. But she wouldn't let her ego get in the way of doing a good job. Jax's eyes scanned the entire place, imitating those of a hawk's. She thought she saw a speck of gold when-  
  
"ARGGH!" Jax yelled, as she started to fall to the cold ground.  
  
She felt her scar turn white-hot, piercing a pain onto her that she had never felt before, not even in Olivander's. She couldn't think, she couldn't move. All she could do was experience the pain while she hurtled down to the ground. Then she suddenly felt herself halt; she stopped falling. Perhaps she was dead. Perhaps whoever was putting her through this agony had decided to end it all before she hit the ground.  
  
"Jax!" she heard someone scream her name. Someone quite close by.  
  
Jax felt the presence of at least three people around her. She wasn't dead; and she wasn't on the ground. She was still in the air, in Ron's arms.  
  
"Oh..." was all that her brain could muster to produce.  
  
"We'd better get her to the hospital wing, quick. Ron, you and Lavender take her there. We'll take care of the balls. Seamus!" Angelina gave out instructions and continued over to Dean and Seamus to instruct them to gather the bludgers and the snitch.  
  
Ron carefully let himself onto the ground, and handed his broom to Lavender, who had run onto the field after watching from the stands.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Lavender asked frightfully.  
  
"I don't know- did you see what happened? I was trying to dodge a bludger, and the next thing I knew I was shooting towards Jax as I saw her falling."  
  
"She was just sitting there, watching out for the snitch. And then all of a sudden, she yelled something and was falling to the ground, her hand on her forehead."  
  
Ron gave Lavender a confused and fearful look. The two quickened their pace to the entrance of the school, when Ron ran into Professor McGonagall as they turned a corner.  
  
"Oh dear Lord- Albus was right," McGonagall gasped.  
  
"Professor- it wasn't us, I swear," Lavender pleaded.  
  
"Of course I know it wasn't you, Miss Brown! Weasley, follow me. Brown, thank you for your help," McGonagall dismissed Lavender and briskly walked toward the hospital wing.  
  
"Professor-" Ron began.  
  
"Don't say anything, Weasley. Just walk," McGonagall snapped.  
  
McGonagall and Ron reached the hospital wing in silence, five minutes later. As they stopped in front of the wing's doorway, McGonagall put a hand out to stop Ron.  
  
"Thank you, Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor," McGonagall took Jax from Ron with much effort, she being much frailer than he.  
  
"I could carry her in, Professor," Ron offered, with a worried tone to his voice.  
  
"No- need- for- that- Weasley," McGonagall breathed.  
  
She pushed open the door and rapidly disappeared behind it. Ron shrugged, his brow furrowed, and ran off to common room to find Hermione or Harry to tell them.  
  
But that wasn't where he would find Harry, at least. Harry had taken to his own hospital bed, laying half-conscious in the wing.  
  
"We found her, Albus!" McGonagall's voice rang throughout the wide, open room.  
  
She turned the corner, and found Dumbledore, Lupin, Snape, and Poppy standing around Harry's bed.  
  
"Oh, get the poor dear into bed!" Nurse Poppy exclaimed, in an unusually squeaky voice.  
  
McGonagall nearly dropped Jax into a bed opposite Harry's, on the right side.  
  
"Where did you find her, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Weasley and Miss Brown were apparently taking her this way when I ran into them. I had Weasley carry her up to the door, and then I took her. And that was no small feat, may I add."  
  
"What could have triggered them so? I don't recall Harry's scar ever knocking him unconscious before," Lupin asked, his face weakened with worry.  
  
"I could probably remember a time- if I think about it," Snape spoke up.  
  
"No time for contests, Severus," Lupin scolded.  
  
"Don't- call- me- Severus!" he whispered through gritted teeth.  
  
"Hush, you two!" Poppy hissed. She was nicely tucking Jax into the bed, smoothing out the sheets and such.  
  
The five adults stepped back from the two, and looked at the twins. Their faces were inexplicably pale, and there wasn't any movement coming from either of them except for steady breathing.  
  
"Where was Harry?" Lupin asked quietly.  
  
"We found him close to the main entrance. Probably not far from where Minerva found Jax," Dumbledore stated.  
  
"How could their scars trigger at the exact same time?" Lupin asked in disbelief.  
  
"What... what does this mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked quietly.  
  
"It means, if not anything, they're more alike than I thought," Dumbledore replied softly.  
  
A/N: Okay, Review!! 


	14. Wake Me Up

A/N: Fast update! That's because I'm really eager to write the next chapter... :HINT:  
  
Jax's eyes abruptly opened into a deep, dark room. Her forehead was covered with a cold sweat, and the atmosphere the surrounded her was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, except for the heavy breathing of her brother next to her. She was startled at the fact that her brother and she were the only ones dark room, with no light but a few lamps.  
  
She raised her hand to her scar, which wasn't hurting any longer. Then she noticed a glass of water on her nightstand, so she took it and drank the whole. There was a bit more of silence, and then she finally heard the ringing of footsteps coming across the tile floor. Immediately she fell back into her pillow, and closed her eyes, imitating her brother.  
  
"...get her out of here before he wakes up," Jax heard the last of a sentence, spoken by what it appeared to be Lupin.  
  
"Remus, you pick her up and I'll get the door," replied a second voice, which sounded particularly familiar, but Jax was a bit sleepy to actually make it out.  
  
Jax cracked her eye open to a slit, and standing right at the foot of the bed was Dumbledore. She tried to keep still and not move as Lupin began to pick her up, but she wouldn't have to stay that way for long. A few seconds later Jax could hear a female voice a few feet away.  
  
"Get away from that child!" a woman dressed in an old nurse's outfit hissed, as she crossed over to Lupin and slapped his hand.  
  
"Poppy- we have to-" Dumbledore began to explain.  
  
"Don't tell me what you have to do! This child is not healthy yet, and I will inform you when she is! Professors, you need to leave," she addressed them.  
  
They both opened their mouths to begin to object, yet she gave a flick of her wand, and immediately there was nothing coming out. Most likely, Dumbledore could get rid of it, but Jax decided that he thought it best not to complain any further and risk waking Harry.  
  
Poppy pushed the two out of the huge room, and then turned in the opposite of Harry and Jax, just looking back for a second.  
  
"Psst... Jax!"  
  
Jax did a double-take as she realized Harry was awake also. He had barely changed position from earlier, so he still seemed, to the untrained eye, asleep.  
  
"Are you awake?" she heard Harry's voice a second time.  
  
"Of course I'm awake, you prat, now stop talking before the nurse comes back!" Jax hissed at him, and flipped over.  
  
"Why are you in here?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard her.  
  
Jax just wanted to shut him up, so she told him the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Cramps, Harry. I have bloody as hell cramps," Jax replied, not turning over to face him.  
  
It had seemed to work, for he didn't reply to her remark, nor did he make another sound for the next couple of minutes.  
  
"Well I'm sorry about that. You are joking, right?" he asked thickly.  
  
"Good God, how thick are you? Of course I'm joking!" she snapped, shaking her head in disbelief. This time she flipped over to face him.  
  
"Well, don't be so hot. You're the Quidditch hero of the day, after all," he replied hotly himself.  
  
She smiled, remembering earlier that day. It had been going so well, and then her damn scar had to go and screw it all up. She frowned after recalling that.  
  
"Why are you so bent out of shape about that? It's not like they're going to replace you or anything," she said.  
  
"The way they were all talking about you, I was convinced they were going to poison me or something just to get you on the team without hurting my feelings. Lots of good that did them," he replied, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and go back to sleep," was the best Jax could do to reply to something like that.  
  
"You never told me why you're in here," he said, yet again ignoring her words.  
  
"I- I- I hurt my foot playing Quidditch," Jax stuttered, not completely sure of what to tell him.  
  
"Hmmm... sorry 'bout that. Bludgers can be brutal around here," Harry seemed convinced of her story.  
  
"Yeah. Almost nicked Dean, too," Jax added on, to make her story sound a bit more believable.  
  
"Bludgers never do seem to appreciate Dean," Harry joked.  
  
Jax laughed a bit too loudly, and quickly covered her mouth, afraid of her joyful tones starting to ring throughout the room. Harry chuckled a bit, and closed his eyes. Jax smiled again, and right then and there she had this sudden urge. The sudden urge to tell Harry everything. Tell him everything that had happened to her in the past five weeks and who she was. She was his sister, and she wanted to tell him and come clean.  
  
"Harry?" Jax gulped.  
  
"Hmm?" he asked, slowly opening his eyes.  
  
"I have something to tell you," she said, rather quietly.  
  
Harry's eyes bulged open at that. He was sure she was going to tell her she liked him, or better yet, confess her undying love.  
  
"Yes...?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"I-I'm your-"  
  
Jax was cut off by three sets of footsteps hurriedly coming their way. She and Harry regretfully closed their eyes, and soon after Jax felt a cold hand placed on her head.  
  
"She seems well enough," she heard a crude voice speak.  
  
"Alright. Remus, take her down to Gryffindor common room and lay her on one of the chairs. And yes, I'm sure you are well acquainted with the girls' dormitories from your days as a student here, but as a teacher, I cannot allow you to do that. Just cover her with a blanket and I'll have Minerva come in and check on her," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
Lupin took her and carried her out of the large wing. Dumbledore stayed behind for a couple of minutes as Poppy checked on Harry.  
  
"Are you going to tell him anything, Albus?" Poppy asked when she had finished checking his temperature.  
  
"No," Dumbledore replied simply.  
  
"Okay, then. I'll keep him here for a while longer if you don't mind. I think he got the better part of the blast," Poppy explained as she wiped her hands on her apron.  
  
"Fine. Alert me when he rouses, will you? G'night Poppy," Dumbledore noted, and then left without another word or gesture.  
  
Poppy nodded, and followed his footsteps and turned in the opposite direction. Harry immediately opened his eyes once he was sure she was gone. What had they meant by telling him something? And how did he get the better 'part' of the blast? He was the only one with a scar... and what the hell was Jax going to tell him? Sometimes, Harry really hated the fact that nobody would ever tell him anything.  
  
Meanwhile, Lupin was still carrying Jax to the Gryffindor common room when Jax opened her eyes.  
  
"Professor, I can walk," Jax said abruptly, startling Lupin a bit.  
  
"Oh, you're awake... No, I don't think you should walk in your state, though," he replied.  
  
"Please? It's rather uncomfortable up here," she pleaded.  
  
He looked down at her, and saw the look she was giving him.  
  
"Oh, fine then. But don't tell anyone, because they'd have my head," he joked.  
  
"Ha ha. Very funny," she commented, taking the shoulder he was leaning out to her.  
  
"Snail Crackers," Jax replied to the Fat Lady as they arrived outside of the Common Room.  
  
Lupin helped Jax into the Common Room, neither of them noticing Lavender in a chair facing the opposite direction.  
  
"Professor... I can get up there," Jax protested, as Lupin tried to get her to lay down on a couch.  
  
"No... I'm under direct orders from Dumbledore... just stay here. Professor McGonagall will be down in a couple of minutes to check on you," Lupin said, as he laid her onto a couch and covered her with a blanket.  
  
"Professor..." Jax started as he began to turn away.  
  
"Yes, Jax?" Lupin turned to face her again.  
  
"I almost told him," Jax confessed.  
  
Lupin's eyes started to grow a bit bigger than they already were, since he had been struggling to stay awake already.  
  
"You WHAT?" Lupin asked, a bit more in shock than he should have been.  
  
"I'm sorry, Professor... I never went through with it," Jax said softly.  
  
"Jax, Harry cannot find out you're his sister right now. It's too risky," Lupin said, sitting down next to her.  
  
Lavender, still sitting in the armchair, almost screeched the moment she heard this. Her eyes bulged out, and her mouth fell three inches open. She held onto the book she was studying tightly, clenching onto it for dear life.  
  
"Risky in what sense?" Jax asked, adjusting herself in the couch.  
  
"We shouldn't talk right now," Lupin said, his eyes beginning to dart around the room. "I'd better be off before McGonagall comes in," and with that, he smoothed out her bangs and left before she could get in a word edge wise.  
  
And there was Jax, just about to fall asleep, with Lavender, one of her best friends, sitting there, knowing about the biggest secret of her life. But the one thing neither of them knew was that so did Hermione, who was sitting at the top of the steps to the Gryffindor girls' dormitories.  
  
A/N: Plot twist! I didn't expect to put that in there, but I guess I did! Review! 


	15. Hope You're Okay

A/N: Just read... I don't feel like putting anything in... :in a bad mood:  
  
Jax woke up the next morning, her head groggy still. She yawned widely and then realized where she was. The Gryffindor Common Room had actually suited her very well while sleeping, she couldn't complain. She pulled the blanket covering her to the side, got up, and walked up the stairs to her dormitory.  
  
She opened the door ever so quietly, trying as hard as she could not to wake her sleeping dorm mates. But the moment she entered the room, she realized that it had not been necessary. All three girls were sitting on Hermione's bed, clustered into a circle. Once Jax had entered the room, they all turned and looked at her, shocked.  
  
"Hey, guys... having a party?" Jax asked, trying to create some laughter in the cold atmosphere in the room.  
  
There was another cold silence as Jax crossed over to her dresser, all of their heads turning towards her as she walked over. She opened up a drawer and picked up a shirt, but dropped it and turned around.  
  
"Okay, what am I missing here?" Jax asked. More silence and staring. "What?!" Jax asked again, becoming annoyed.  
  
"Jax... how could you not tell us?" Lavender finally asked.  
  
"Tell you what?" Jax said, putting a hand on her hip.  
  
"Oh for heavens sake, will you stop playing cat and mouse with the girl?" Hermione said, looking at Lavender and Parvati.  
  
"Cat and mous-" Jax began, confused.  
  
"We know about Harry, Jax. We know you're his sister," Hermione said abruptly.  
  
Jax gulped hard, and stared at the three with huge, bulging eyes. Her right eye started to twitch, which it did at times when she was extremely nervous. It had happened when she was being sorted, it had happened on the Hogwarts Express.  
  
Hermione started to glare, and Lavender and Parvati looked at Jax with sympathetic eyes. Jax lost her balance a bit, falling backwards towards her dresser.  
  
"How did you...?" Jax stuttered.  
  
"I'm so sorry Jax, I overheard when Lupin brought you in last night- I couldn't help it!" Lavender blurted.  
  
"So... you come up here and tell everyone in sight?" Jax asked a bit coldly.  
  
"No, I heard too," Hermione replied for Lavender.  
  
"And I heard from them later on- they thought I was sleeping," Parvati finally spoke.  
  
Jax sighed a bit, over taken by this new revelation. Then a new concern popped into her head.  
  
"You didn't tell him, did you?" she asked eagerly.  
  
"Oh, no! We would never do that, Jax. You obviously have your... reasons," Lavender replied uncertainly.  
  
Jax felt a relief take to her body.  
  
"But Jax, we have to ask. Why can't he... know?" Parvati asked.  
  
"All I know is that Dumbledore has his 'reasons'. I think it's because of my godfather dying," Jax replied, feeling a bit out of place calling Sirius her godfather. He wasn't mentioned much around the Order.  
  
"I thought. So it was you? That strange 'visitor' Harry and Ron kept talking about before school started," Hermione said.  
  
Jax blushed a bit, remembering the incident when she had sneezed and woken up half the household, and the time Harry had almost discovered her.  
  
"Uh... yeah. Sorry about waking you up that time," Jax apologized.  
  
Hermione smiled for the first time at Jax.  
  
"It's okay," Hermione said.  
  
"This is SO exciting!" Lavender squealed.  
  
"Well, you know, it's a bit of a relief. Having someone to talk to... but you guys can't tell anyone, alright?" Jax said.  
  
"Witch's honor," Hermione said, raising up her hand and putting the other over her heart.  
  
The other three giggled, and Jax walked over and sat down on the bed.  
  
"So, what's it like being the... 'girl who lived'?" Lavender asked excitedly.  
  
"Not much different from being Jax Pierce," Jax said.  
  
"Wait... what's your real name? Jax Potter?" Parvati asked.  
  
"No, Raye Potter. I like it better than Jax. Sounds a bit more mysterious, don't you think?" Jax smiled.  
  
"Definitely!" Lavender said, leaning in a bit more to the circle.  
  
"But you can't start calling me that," Jax warned.  
  
"Do you have a scar also?" Parvati blurted.  
  
"Yeah," Jax blushed a bit more.  
  
"Let's see!" Lavender said.  
  
Jax lifted her bangs, revealing her star-shaped scar. The other three gasped in amazement, each taking turns getting a closer look.  
  
"Merlin! That thing's gorgeous! Much better than Harry's," Parvati complimented.  
  
"Thanks," Jax said, looking to the side.  
  
Hermione seemed to be interested in others things, though. She was staring at a piece of her quilt, her eyes fixed on a small stain.  
  
"'Mione? Something wrong?" Lavender asked.  
  
"We... we sort of have a problem," Hermione said.  
  
The other three looked at each other, worried.  
  
"What?" Jax asked.  
  
"I hate to tell you this, Jax, but Harry..." Hermione stopped mid-sentence.  
  
"Continue..." Jax urged on eagerly.  
  
"Harry has sort of a thing for you, Jax," Hermione said a bit darkly.  
  
Lavender gasped in a small way, and Parvati looked taken aback. Jax, however, didn't look startled at all.  
  
"I'm quite aware of that, Hermione. Harry's always staring at me with that goofy-eyed look. But it's not serious, I'm sure," Jax said.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure you're sure, Jax. But I don't know about Harry. He's got it pretty bad," Hermione replied.  
  
"I can't worry about that now," Jax said. She ran her hair through her fingers, another thing she did when she was nervous.  
  
"You're right, Jax. You shouldn't be worrying about that right now..." Lavender tried to calm her down.  
  
"So, Hogsmeade? You guys going?" Parvati said cheerfully, trying to change the subject.  
  
"Yeah! We're all going... 'cept Jax. I didn't see your name on the list," said Lavender.  
  
"I just haven't had the time to sign up... I was in the hospital wing for most of the night, remember?" Jax said, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.  
  
"Let's go then! Don't want you missing out, do we?" Lavender said excitedly, taking Jax by the arm.  
  
The four girls ran out of the room, down to the Common Room. There wasn't much activity in there, which was expected, since it was a Sunday morning. There were two third years playing Wizard's chess near the hearth, and a group of fifth years experimenting with some of Fred and George's leftover Skiving Snackboxes.  
  
Once Jax had signed her name to the list of who was going to Hogsmeade, the four turned around, looking for something to do.  
  
"We could..." Jax began.  
  
"Go see Harry!" Lavender cut in.  
  
Parvati and Hermione exchanged nervous looks, yet Jax just shook her head.  
  
"He's not feeling well, at least he wasn't last night," she lied.  
  
"I'm going to work on a project for Potions class," Hermione stated, and continued up the stairs back to the dorm room.  
  
"I- I'd better go help her. Partners," Parvati said, and followed Hermione.  
  
"Want to go eat?" Lavender suggested when it was just Jax and she.  
  
"Good idea," Jax smiled.  
  
The two friends walked out of the room, with an awkward silence. Jax dug her hands into the pockets of her black jeans, and concentrated on the motions her boots were making. Lavender had taken a sudden interest in the paintings on the wall, greeting every single one as they passed, except for the ones with the trees. She did say 'hi' to one of the flowers, however.  
  
They reached the great hall, which was at a low buzz. It was around nine o' clock by now, and most of the students were still asleep. Jax sat near the end of the hall, near the teacher's table. Lavender took a seat next to her and started to pile food on her plate. They sat, eating, for about thirty minutes, when Lavender just got tired of not talking.  
  
"Okay, are we just going to pretend nothing happened?" she asked, dropping her fork onto her plate and making a loud 'clank' noise.  
  
"Lavender, I can't say much more!" Jax said, staring at her over her shoulder.  
  
"Well, we don't have to be so... quiet! It's so gloomy around here all of a sudden," Lavender noticed.  
  
"Are you always this observant?" Jax asked, annoyed.  
  
Lavender shot her a hateful look, and immediately left. Jax didn't pay any attention; she just remained in her seat, finishing her food. Right as she began to leave, she felt another body right next to her.  
  
"Well, well! Pierce's girlfriend just dumped her... amazing!" Jax heard the cold voice of Draco Malfoy taunt her.  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy," Jax shot back.  
  
A menacing grin appeared on Malfoy's face, and he leaned a bit closer in to Jax.  
  
"Wouldn't get too hot around her... might spill your secret," Malfoy said in an evil tone.  
  
Jax's eyes grew into small slits, and she faced Malfoy, staring into his ice-cold eyes.  
  
"What secret?" she asked darkly.  
  
"You know..." Malfoy said, as he rose up from the seat next to Jax, and walked away.  
  
Jax felt a small faint, as she realized her worst fear had come true. The truth had finally come out- and there was no turning back.  
  
A/N: Review....! 


	16. Never Knew You

Harry rustled around in his trunk for a sweater to go over his t-shirt. It had been a week since he was hospitalized, and Dumbledore and Nurse Poppy had finally considered him well enough to go after hours of pleading. Harry smiled triumphantly when he finally found a green sweater he had been looking for.  
  
"Ron? Are you ready to go?" Harry called, jiggling his spending coins in his jean pocket.  
  
"Almost," Ron shouted from the bathroom, where he was fixing his terribly messy hair.  
  
Harry plummeted onto his bed, fumbling with his fingers as he waited for Ron. He was anxious to get downstairs and meet with the rest of the group, including Jax and Hermione. They two had gotten unusually close in the past week. It befuddled Ron and Harry the same, seeing as how they had been mortal enemies up to last Sunday.  
  
"Ready," Ron smiled, opening the door.  
  
"Hey Herm, Jax," Harry greeted when they reached the bottom of the stairs.  
  
Jax and Hermione turned and smiled at the two boys, both looking exquisite. Jax's hair was pulled into two small braids at the sides of her head. She had on a black jean skirt that reached her ankles, and a gauzy shirt that reached her nails, which happened to be painted a deep red at the moment.  
  
Hermione looked the exact opposite. Her hair was tied into a controlling ponytail at the back of her head. She wore a red turtleneck and a pair of blue jeans.  
  
"Are you two ready to go? Carriages are loading for early risers," Hermione told them.  
  
"What are you guys going to get?" Jax asked, looking around as they all started off towards Hogsmeade in their carriage.  
  
"Two words: Honeydukes," Ron said.  
  
"Honeydukes is only one word, you twit," Ginny said, smacking her brother at the top of his head.  
  
"Shut up, Ginny!" Ron told her back.  
  
"Why should I?" Ginny retorted.  
  
"Why don't you both shut up?" Harry suggested.  
  
"I'll second that," Hermione commented.  
  
Both Ginny and Ron slumped into their seats, crossing their arms. The other three chuckled at them a bit.  
  
"No, seriously, guys, what are you going to get?" Jax asked again.  
  
"I would fancy a butterbeer right now," Harry said, rubbing his hands together in delight.  
  
"Now that sounds like a good idea," Hermione nodded approvingly.  
  
Jax was greeted by a strong smell of pumpkin pie and ginger ale as the five arrived in the Three Broomsticks. Harry set off, in search of a table. Ron joined him, being not too anxious to stay near Ginny at the moment.  
  
"Over there," Jax pointed out, when she noticed Harry and Ron settling themselves at a table.  
  
The three crossed over to the table near the corner of the building. They all sat down, except for Hermione and Jax, who set over to order the drinks.  
  
"'Mione, didn't Ron want to go to Honeydukes? I mean, I know I'm no expert, but from what I've heard that place gets pretty crowded around this time. Maybe we should get them..."  
  
"In the bottle? Not a bad idea," Hermione cut her off. "Five butterbeers, in the bottle please," she told the young witch behind the counter. She then turned to Jax with a sly smile on her face.  
  
"What?" Jax asked her.  
  
"I know why you wanted to get them to go instead of having them here," Hermione said, that stupid sly smile still on her face.  
  
"Why?" Jax asked curiously.  
  
"You're going to tell him, aren't you?" Hermione squealed.  
  
Jax looked at her ghastly.  
  
"What? No- no!" Jax said. And it was the truth, although Hermione seemed to think different.  
  
"I know you," Hermione said, with that smile Jax began to detest.  
  
"Whatever, Herm," Jax shook her head, and took two of the butterbeers in her hands. "We asked them to keep it in the bottle so we could get to Honeydukes quicker," Jax said, as she set a bottle in front of Harry and herself.  
  
"Wonder why we never thought of that," Ginny pondered out loud as Hermione put a bottle in front her.  
  
"Doesn't matter. Let's get out of here," Hermione replied.  
  
The five retreated out of the building as many more Hogwarts students piled in.  
  
"Hate to dampen your spirits, Ron, but I really don't want to go to Honeydukes. I'm watching my figure," Ginny told him.  
  
"Yeah, you've got some figure to watch," Ron muttered.  
  
"What was that?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Nothing, sister dear," he smirked at her.  
  
"Ginny, I'll stay with you," Jax offered.  
  
"Me too. If I step even one foot into Honeydukes I'll waste all of my summer savings," Hermione said, taking a small sip of her drink.  
  
"Then I guess it's unanimous. Unless... Harry. Do you... want to come with us?" Jax asked uncertainly, and immediately regretting it, seeing the sly smile instantly appear back on Hermione's face.  
  
Harry looked around to Jax, and then Ron. Ron was his best friend, but, it was only a trip to a candy store. He'd live.  
  
"Sorry, mate. I think I'm gonna join them," Harry told Ron, looking at his sympathetically.  
  
"You know what? I give up. Forget Honeydukes," Ron said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"That was kind of pointless," Jax laughed.  
  
The rest of them smiled. They walked and talked a bit, doing window- shopping, when they found themselves outside the Shrieking Shack. Seamus, Dean, and a couple of Hufflepuffs in their year were already there. They were pelting each other with piles of leaves from the ground.  
  
"Care to let us in on the fun?" Harry called.  
  
"Sure, Potter! If... you think you can keep up with us!" Seamus called back.  
  
The five trudged into the line of fire, laughing and shouting at each other. Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Jax placed their bottles by the pathway. Ron chose to continue drinking his, which turned out to be a mistake. He dropped it while trying to trip Dean into a large drift of leaves, making the bottle break into huge shards of glass.  
  
"Damn," he muttered, but didn't pay any attention. He looked back once, but didn't bother to pick any of it up.  
  
They all played around a while, until they got tired and decided it was time to go back. Just as Harry began to rise, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson showed up.  
  
"What the hell do you want now, Malfoy?" Harry shouted.  
  
"Calm down, Potter. I have every right to be here, as do you," Malfoy said, advancing towards Harry.  
  
"You wouldn't be here if you didn't have a reason to be," Harry told him, digging into his pockets, making sure he had a good grip on his wand.  
  
"I'm offended, Potter," Malfoy said, putting a hand to his chest, faking a hurt face. Crabbe and Goyle laughed and punched each other in the upper arm. Pansy stood there, eyeing Jax and Hermione coldly.  
  
"Good. That's what I was aiming at," Harry retorted.  
  
"Are you looking for trouble, Potter? Because with a mouth like that, that's where it's gonna get you," Malfoy hissed.  
  
"I happen to be quite acquainted with trouble by now, Malfoy. Something you can't say about yourself," Harry said coldly.  
  
Malfoy didn't retort with a smart remark this time, though. He shoved Harry away from him, making Harry fall back a few steps.  
  
"Harry! Malfoy!" Jax got up and ran in between the two.  
  
"Get away, little girl," Malfoy said, glaring at Harry still.  
  
"Shut the hell up, Malfoy. I don't give a damn about what you have to say or do," she retorted, glaring at him.  
  
"I would be a bit more careful around me," Malfoy stepped closer to Jax, "Potter," he hissed.  
  
Jax gasped, her eyes growing wide. Then they turned into small slits, giving Malfoy the worst look she could muster. He look backed, his look saying, 'Watcha gonna do about it'? She began to step back, began to run back to Hermione and stay out of it.  
  
But the next thing she knew, she had let her hand slip along Malfoy's soft skin, making it red.  
  
"You bitch!" he yelled. Malfoy pushed Jax hard to the ground, harder than he had Harry.  
  
Jax landed with a huge thud, her body completely on the ground.  
  
"Ow...."  
  
She looked at her hand, which had begun to bleed. Then she felt her forehead, which also had blood on it. She had been cut by Ron's broken butterbeer bottle. There was a cut on her neck, both hands, and most horribly on her forehead, desperately close to her scar.  
  
"Jax!" she heard Harry yell.  
  
All Jax could do was lay still for a moment. She heard the noises, though: the noises of Malfoy and the rest retreating as fast as they could, the noises of her friends coming closer.  
  
"Jax! Let me see," she felt Harry's hand take hers.  
  
"No!" she yelled, getting up as fast as she could. She had realized that he would see the blood on her forehead, and would have to see the cut; the cut was near her scar...  
  
"Just let me see! I could probably mend it with something-" Jax began to run away from Harry, Harry right on her tail, chasing her.  
  
"No, Harry its fine!" Jax turned to see Harry, running backwards. That was a mistake, though, because she felt herself fall to the ground again.  
  
Harry crouched in front of her, his hand reaching out to her forehead.  
  
"NO!" Jax yelled, slapping Harry's hand away.  
  
"Jax, it's bleeding all over-" Harry looked concerned.  
  
Jax shook her head, telling him not to come any closer. She relaxed a bit, raising her hand to feel the blood. She let it down, and looked into her brother's deep, emerald eyes. They were enchanting- something she'd never noticed.  
  
"You. It's you..." Harry murmured, looking back into Jax's eyes.  
  
"Me? Who-" Jax was interrupted by the feeling of her bangs being lifted above her forehead.  
  
At that moment, everything went white. She felt as if she wasn't living, or experiencing time. All that was happening to her was seeing Harry's eyes move from her own to the top of her head. She watched his eyes grow so wide she could never imagine, his mouth open in disbelief. And then she was pulled back into reality.  
  
"LET GO OF ME!" Jax yelled, turning to face Ron, who had crept up behind her in order to let Harry see the cut.  
  
Jax tugged away from Ron and ran- ran as fast as she could into the crowd of Hogwarts students, all of them unaware of what was happening. She expected to hear Harry's steps behind her, wanting to know why the hell she had a scar on her forehead just like him. But he wasn't- he was standing still on the pile of leaves, not even flinching.  
  
"Harry, I-" Harry felt Hermione's soft voice come up from behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"She's that girl Ron and I saw at the Order, isn't she?" he asked faintly, turning to look at Hermione.  
  
"She's more than that, Harry," Hermione said calmly.  
  
"That- thing... that thing on her forehead. Was it what I think-" Harry said. He knew perfectly well what it was, although he couldn't believe it.  
  
Hermione nodded softly. Harry had tears in his eyes now.  
  
"Who is she, 'Moine?" Harry asked, his voice as quiet as it ever had been.  
  
"I think you need to hear that from her," Hermione said.  
  
Harry nodded, and broke away from Hermione's grip. He ran- ran quickly and briskly in Jax's direction. Never in his life had he felt so alone, so lost. 


	17. Author's Note

Author's Note:

After a year of ignoring my work, I decided to come back to my Harry Potter fic and re-read it.

I know realize what a piece of crappy writing it is. I wrote this a year ago, and have matured as a writer a great, great deal. I feel as if a fifth grader wrote this piece.

So, and I apologize for the year of waiting, I have decided to rewrite this story in a much better writing fashion and I might change plot twists. Incest doesn't sound too great to me any longer.

If you wish to read the remake of this story, search adelinafeonix, my new Harry Potter writing account. By the time you read this, Reformed Chapter 1 should be up.

Thanks for your reviews and patience.


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